The Dish: Why Baltimore’s swankiest new bar took 7 years to open

Over the seven years it’s taken Bryan Ranere to launch his new bar, Werewolves Welcome, he’s shaved off his beard and grown it back multiple times. Last fall, facing yet another series of delays, Ranere made himself a promise: The beard would stay until the Old Goucher business was officially open.

As of last week, Ranere’s thick, silver beard extended below his collar, even as the first waves of visitors passed through the doors for the bar’s soft opening.

For them, Werewolves Welcome may feel worth the wait — and the approximately $1 million Ranere and his wife, Caroline, spent transforming a 19th-century carriage house into what looks to be the city’s swankiest and most mysterious new watering hole.

With its stark black-and-white exterior, the two-story building stands out on a quiet stretch of West 24th Street. There’s no sign on the door, just the word “Welcome” tiled into the ground outside. Yet, Ranere said, “Most of the cool kid bartenders have come to check it out.”

Look around, ask questions; there’s a story behind everything.

Drinks will include a gin martini with pickled onions. It’s named for Peter the Wild Boy, who was said to have been raised by wolves. As a man, he lived in the royal court of Princess Caroline, and guzzled gin and devoured onions. A limited snack menu will include tinned fish, charcuterie and hot dogs prepared in a vintage steamer — inspired by Ranere’s own pilgrimage to the iconic Parisian haunt Harry’s New York Bar, where frankfurters are among the few foods served.

Werewolves Welcome should cement Old Goucher’s status as one of Baltimore’s top destinations for bar-hopping, said Brendan Dorr, co-owner of nearby Dutch Courage. “This neighborhood has some of the best drinking in the city,” Dorr said, with places like Mama Koko’s, Yeiboh Kitchen and W.C. Harlan. Ranere’s project “just adds to that level of excellence that we have going on.”

Part of the reason for the lengthy build-out was Ranere’s need to balance work on the bar with caring for Caroline, whose career as an interior designer was derailed by myalgic encephalomyelitis, a disease that causes debilitating fatigue.

While mostly housebound due to her illness, Caroline also played an integral role in designing the bar — which she did from their bedroom, where Ranere set up a corkboard for wallpaper and fabric samples. “Never underestimate what you can achieve from bed,” Caroline said.

Her eye for design is all over Werewolves Welcome, from the artistic black-and-white tile that covers the bar to a textile based on one of her own paintings. Caroline is still working on the blue velvet upholstery for an upstairs screening room — a nod to filmmaker David Lynch, of course. It also reflects Ranere’s time as a bartender at Foreign Cinema, an influential restaurant in San Francisco where movies are projected during dinner.

The style of the space is what she calls “mixed century,” a blend of old, new and personal items. “This bar is a real triumph of her design skill and her vision as an artist,” Ranere said.

After living in California for several decades, the couple relocated to the East Coast in 2017 in part to be closer to Ranere’s brother, a musician. Ranere took a job with Matthew Pierce, a friend of his brother’s, who was opening Fadensonne, a natural wine bar with his wife, Lane Harlan. Ranere says he ultimately parted ways with the couple before the bar opened and wound up working at various other watering holes in the city, including Station North’s Pen & Quill.

Through it all, he dreamed of opening his own place, something he never could have afforded in California. After touring properties in Old Goucher, Ranere says he fell in love with the former barbershop at 17 W. 24th St. — especially the space’s brick double-sided fireplace, the only detail that he left intact during a complex renovation that included relocating all of the building’s utilities upstairs as well as reframing the entire second floor. (Are those European toilets in the restroom? Yes, Ranere said, noting it was a challenge to find a local plumber who could install German commodes.)

The name Werewolves Welcome stems from a childhood fascination with the mythical creatures, which morph from man to wolf under a full moon. “There was a moment where I was like, ‘Is this the worst name in the world or the best?’” he laughed. “It gave us an excuse to have a full moon party every month.”

While he’d hoped to open the bar as early as 2020, Ranere said funding for new hospitality projects dried up after the onset of the pandemic. Once construction finally began, he discovered “this old, old building had just been held together with string and gum.” A project that he had initially envisioned costing half a million dollars eventually doubled in price.

Unfortunately, the obstacles haven’t stopped.

Soon after Werewolves Welcome began its soft opening, Ranere took a nasty spill while riding his bike home early one morning. Only later, after his wife insisted he go to the hospital, did he discover he’d broken his clavicle and several ribs. His arm in a sling, he’s now leaning more than ever on bartenders like Dante Cox, who was busy rattling a silver shaker and taking care of a smattering of customers during a recent visit.

Will Ranere ever shave the beard? While Werewolves Welcome is scheduled to have a grand opening in September, he’s considering keeping it until at least Halloween. Obviously, he’ll be a werewolf.