The Wet Monkey Sub Shack can now wet your whistle with alcoholic beverages.

In addition to serving subs, owner John Devine said the Wet Monkey, 4855 E. Bluegrass Rd., was granted a full liquor license and now is serving beer and liquor.

Devine said the move is needed to give the business more marketability, as well as to help business.

“It’s more a marketing concept,” he said. “We had to broaden our horizons. Sandwiches by themselves are not going to cut it, it’s not making money. We’re in a college town, people are going to drink.”

Devine said the Wet Monkey has always been a non-generic place and that is the type of setting he hopes to keep with the liquor license.

“As a bar,” he said, “(we want it to be) a place where deeper conversations are generated.”

Along with the liquor license change, Devine said he plans on making a few menu changes.

“We are getting gourmet pizzas, but we are going to have some alternative items, not just pepperoni and sausage and we are also keeping the paninis,” Devine said. “It’s going to be a place you can go to in the summer. For people staying in the summer we are going to have frozen drinks as well as cheaper tropical drinks. There’s a wide range, so we will mix it up. It won’t be just beer, during the summer I’m going to push tropical drinks and we also have Mountain Town beer on tap.”

Wet Monkey employee Jackie Bennett, who has been with the establishment since it opened in February of 2008, said the change will be important for the business.

“It’s crucial in our economy. It will make a big difference to expose this concept about coming together and exchanging ideas,” Bennett said. “It’s not about turning it into a club, but more turning it into a social outlet, which is a little more mellow.”

Devine said the Wet Monkey would be celebrating the revamped menu and idea next Friday.

“It’s more of a grand opening,” Devine said. “It’s going to start at 5 p.m. and go until people stop coming in.”

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E-mail the author: Eric Dresden