Mover & Shaker Co. Pop-Up Pays Homage to ‘The Goonies’

Back in early spring, my internal debate hit a fever pitch as I dragged my feet while getting ready for a baby shower in Uptown. This introvert had all the excuses — social anxiety, awkward games, forced small talk.

“No one will miss us, right?” I asked in a doomed hypothetical tone.

The impulsive empath, the reluctant extrovert, shot back, “You’re not getting out of this one. At least there will be snacks, rooftop cocktails and a 75% chance for minimal social interaction.”

Meanwhile, the personality that’s wildly uncomfortable with sibling-style conflict, who will flee the scene with the first excuse, found her voice: “Y’all always do this. We all know that whether we show up on time or ‘Black people time’ (Google it), this self-proclaimed ‘(A)Untie’ won’t miss the celebration of the latest addition to my chosen family circle.”

The argument now over, The Hoard begrudgingly set off for Novelty House. Naturally, the Uber would pull up just in time for a quick round of hellos right after the awkwardness peaked and just before my “Irish exit.”

Little did we know, the “day drinker” would rear her ugly head as soon as she squeezed a few familiar faces, grabbed a Pinot Grigio and overheard whispers of a Mover & Shaker Co. pop-up event happening in South End at a new bar.

“Hey y’all! It ain’t that bad. But also, we do need more nightlife tea … We gotta check this out!”

Of course, the day drinker was having such a good time at the baby shower that not only did she film the entire baby bottle chug contest — complete with louder-than-everyone-else cheering — she was now dragging us on yet another adventure to a pop-up at Blue Door that would thwart any plans for the “early night” I’d promised the boyfriend.

I’m not going to lie, I hadn’t planned on visiting Blue Door, located in the Gold District of South End. The sting of saying goodbye to Bardo, the former tenant, combined with several other QC closures, has left a grudge that’s been hard to shake.

But as soon as I stepped through the famed blue door to see a skeleton with pirate flags and its “booty” sprinkled on a table, “Oh, this may actually be worth my time” spidey senses started tingling. I scanned the room to discern the theme, “Holy shit, it’s The Goonies!”

But that was just the beginning. I went to the bar for a drink, wild-eyed and hungry to know more. I searched for the cocktail menu and little did I know Head Shaker in Charge Nick Hogan was behind the bar mixing up bevvies.

He handed me a VHS case with a custom, retro-inspired logo that took cues from Blockbuster’s iconic design that also doubled as the drink menu dripping with Goonies references — each cocktail a movie moment brought to life.

Oh, the nostalgia. I settled on “Goonies Never Say Die” — a Swedish Fish Paper Plane featuring Dickel bourbon, Aperol, lemon, housemade mango, guava and ginger syrup — and it actually came with a toothpicked Swedish Fish!

At this point, there was no way I could hide my childlike excitement. I probably gave Nick the ick by peppering him with questions, practically bouncing in my seat as I tried to soak in every little detail.

I immediately scoured Google for anything and everything related to Mover & Shaker.

“At the intersection of pop culture and cocktail culture, where the world’s greatest bartenders conspire – that’s where you’ll find Mover & Shaker Co., a Jacksonville, Florida-based boutique creative agency (of sorts) with its proverbial finger ever on the pulse of what’s happening in the hospitality industry.” In other words, they may host pop-ups here and there but their main racket is merch.

And then Instagram, which was playfully chaotic and equally mysterious — hints of spirited barware, cheeky cocktail pins, and ever-evolving themes that were as cool as they were clever.

Basically, Nick and the crew decided to take their craft, creativity and networking on the road, coordinating pop-up events that are seemingly anything but ordinary, injecting an inspiring and fresh take on cocktail culture and nightlife. It was serendipitous that the road brought them to six stops in North and South Cack.

Now, where are these cheeky pins? I wondered, as my girlfriend led us through a hidden nook past the bar, where we could sift through bins of eclectic pins, cop some swag and even pop a custom M&S coin into a bubblegum machine for a prize — all while The Goonies plays in the background on a vintage Emerson VHS TV.

It was a respite for those of us bored with QC nightlife and a haven for those who still cherish the magic of childhood, with a touch more sophistication and a lot more liquor.

Needless to say, I left with an embarrassing amount of unnecessary trinkets and one cocktail too many.

So, Mover & Shaker, you left me on read … but the people need to know: Will you be back soon? Because I’m ready for Round Two!