Drink in style at Neat & Sweet, a cocktail lounge in downtown Apex adjacent to Scratch Kitchen. Whether you’re on a date night or out with coworkers, this sipping spot — owned by the same team behind Scratch, TapStation, The Mason Jar Tavern, and Mason Jar Lager Company — is the perfect place to sink into a leather couch and let the evening be gin.
“We have spent the last six years opening restaurants together and working on concepts within our local community,” said owner Jon Pierce. “We have found a passion for small downtowns and working to be a positive part of the entrepreneurial community. Simply put, we love building places for people to gather and enjoy a great meal, and we are thrilled to have the support of our community.”
Read on to learn more about how drinks and dreams are made at this swanky local treasure.
When did Neat & Sweet first open, and what was the inspiration behind its opening?
Neat & Sweet opened in spring of 2023. After getting the opportunity to lease the space next to Scratch, we knew we had to come up with a concept Apex would love. We set out to create a gathering place for the community, a place to go for date night, and a place to enjoy a drink with friends.
Order outside and enjoy a drink al fresco.
Tell us more about the space!
We designed the layout and overall theme and hired an interior designer to help source some of the furniture. When designing the look and feel of the space, we focused on the natural character of the Tobacco Mule Exchange Building. The tall ceilings, original wood and brick supports, and original wood floors deserved to be our focal points. The colors we chose, furniture we sourced, lighting used, and even the glassware was all chosen with hopes of creating a relaxing, sophisticated venue. When designing our restaurants, we always hope to create something unique with small details you might not notice at first — but, as you enjoy the space, these details come more into focus.
We are offering to rent our space on Mondays and Tuesdays for holiday parties through December. The space can hold about 50 people inside and another 30 or so on the patio (weather permitting). Our space will be decorated for the holidays beginning the week after Thanksgiving. For info on renting the space, please reach out on our website (neatandsweetapex.com).
What kind of experience does Neat & Sweet hope to offer customers?
We have a mix of seating options that allow our guests to really decide their own experience. We have more traditional bistro tables with leather bar stools that lend themselves to an experience more like a restaurant setting. We also have several leather sofas and antique chairs that help foster a more relaxing environment for folks wanting to spend a little more time enjoying drinks and conversation. Lastly, we have a beautiful outdoor space with lounge furniture and Adirondacks to enjoy a drink al fresco. Regardless of where you choose to enjoy time at Neat & Sweet, we hope you will feel both relaxed and well taken care of with our tableside service.
What sets Neat & Sweet apart?
Neat & Sweet feels different than anywhere else around. We strive to focus on the details without being overly formal, and this has led to a really fun place to experience. From tiki drinks and smoked old fashioneds to chardonnay cheese fondue, Neat & Sweet feels like a place you might find in a large downtown city. Our drinks are all handcrafted with house made bitters, tinctures, mixes, and garnishes. In a lot of ways, our bar is a lot like a kitchen. We focus on unique combinations of fresh ingredients and elevated bar techniques that lead to an incredible finished product. On any given day, you can find our bar team adding teas, coffees, spices, and herbs to jars to be used in tomorrow’s new drink. Our space, food, and drinks are all carefully considered to provide our guests a truly unique experience.
Neat & Sweet also offers shareable cocktails, like High Society — featuring butterfly pea tea-infused honeysuckle vodka and edible flowers.
Describe the menu!
Our drink menu is incredibly unique, yet approachable. Our bartending team, led by Kaitlin Tandy, creates all their own bitters, mixtures, tinctures, and garnishes. This creativity is consistent throughout their entire drink program. From rum pecan old fashioneds with house made orgeat to a shareable cocktail experience with a glitter-filled pea flower tea concoction, our team will help anyone find something they will enjoy.
Our food menu is meant for sharing. We offer meat and cheese charcuterie boards with unique items like our house made herb cheese spread or our Scratch pickled veggies. We are also handcrafting butter boards, which is really something you just have to try. We take a really nice, rich butter and spread it thinly over a cutting board and add toppings like pepper jelly, hot honey, pistachios, rosemary, and lemon. Grab a piece of fresh toasted bread and get the perfect scoop of butter and all of these ingredients. We also serve cheese and chocolate fondue, tuna nachos, and freshly prepared desserts.
Favorite drink?
This is an interesting question because my favorite is definitely changing because of Neat & Sweet. I love old fashioneds and bourbon cocktails. In the past, I have not enjoyed tequila drinks. However, Kaitlin’s Drastic Measures cocktail with mezcal, Tanqueray Sevilla, mango-chili shrub, lime, and salt has become my new favorite. It really is a true test of a bar’s creativity when the team can make something using ingredients people may not typically enjoy and it becomes a new favorite. This one has the perfect balance of spicy, sweet, and salty.
Anything else you’d like to add?
We will be launching our Fill-A-Jar campaign at all of our restaurants beginning around Thanksgiving. Each year, we reach out to local guidance counselors and ask for their help in connecting us with families who might need a little help through the holidays. We have ornaments on our trees with items requested by the families, and we raise money throughout the season to buy things for the families. If you visit any of our restaurants and have the ability to help, please consider doing so. We donate 100% of proceeds back to these families each year.
- The 2023 Gift Guide
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- Liquid Assets: Paddle Daze IPA
- Liquid Assets: Cranberry Cobbler Mocktail
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- Nonprofit Spotlight: Bella Angels, Inc.
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- Things to Do: November / December 2023
