His dad was a beloved Scottsdale restaurateur. This new bar is an ode to his legacy

A new speakeasy from the Keeler Hospitality Group is coming to north Scottsdale this summer. Poppy's Office, which will be located next to the original Liberty Station location at Carefree Highway and Scottsdale Road, will honor the late Paul Keeler.

Paul Keeler was the founder and president of Keeler Hospitality Group, the force behind Scottsdale restaurants Liberty Station, Market Street Kitchen and Keeler's Neighborhood Steakhouse in Carefree. He died on Oct. 9, 2021, due to complications from COVID-19. He was 73 years old.

The idea to open Poppy's Office came to his son, Matt Keeler, "in a dream," he said.

He and his father had once brainstormed what to do with an empty space next to Liberty Station's north Scottsdale location. After Paul died, Matt Keeler knew he wanted to honor his father in some way, and the idea to open a speakeasy was born.

Honoring a man who was Mr. Hospitality

"When we lost him, that was a large, large loss for our family. Not only my family but also our restaurant family as well. And that's why we wanted to honor him in doing this," Keeler said.

The name Poppy's Office came from Paul Keeler's grandchildren, who were the first to call him Poppy. Eventually, Paul Keeler became known as Poppy to his friends and community, according to his son.

"He was all about the community. He walked into any of our restaurants here in Arizona, and you could call him the mayor for the event, the way that everybody wanted to see him, talk to him. Even if they didn't know him, they wanted to know him. He was kind of larger than life when it when it came to the restaurant, because he was that that hospitable kind of guy," Keeler said.

The bar's logo depicts a pineapple — a symbol of hospitality, according to Keeler — and reads "est. 1947" for the year Paul Keeler was born.

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What to expect at Poppy's Office

Immediately upon entering Poppy's Office, guests will be met with a replica of the office where Paul Keeler worked. His desk will be in the center of the room, and his personal mementos will line the walls, including family portraits and memorabilia of his favorite sports teams. A host sitting at the desk will guide guests through a secret door behind the bookcase that leads into the bar.

The bar itself will also be office-themed, according to Keeler. Desk lamps will line the bar, and the menu will look like a book. The walls will be decorated with books, records and "Poppy-isms," or quotes that the late Keeler used often.

"One of his favorites is, 'yes is the answer. What is the question?'" Keeler said.

The drinks menu will include a section of drinks named after "Poppy-isms," such as "loudmouth soup" for martinis and "something brown" for whiskeys. But most of the menu will focus on craft cocktails, Keeler said.

"There's nothing like it in north Scottsdale. You know, there's a lot of great bars up there, but mostly cowboy bars and stuff like that, but there's nothing for people or guests to come to that have elevated cocktails," Keeler said.

Keeler expects to serve his father's favorite tacos at the bar. But the rest of the food options will come from the connected Liberty Station restaurant.

Visit Poppy's Office

Poppy's Office is expected to open in summer 2023.

Details: 34522 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 160, Scottsdale. libertystationtavern.com.

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Reach the reporter at endia.fontanez@gannett.com. Follow @EndiaFontanez on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Scottsdale bar Poppy's Office opening soon: The story of the speakeasy