Today we’d like to introduce you to Reese Haisler.
Hi Reese, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Thank you for taking the interest and time to write an article for our new establishment.
It is greatly appreciated and we can definitely use the additional media coverage to help get us started.
A brief background on myself:
I was the original creator of Etro Lounge which I opened back in 2007 in the Montrose and which became a staple in the Houston nightlife scene. Etro Lounge later rebranded to Etro Nightclub and even later then relocated to the downtown location in 2018. I had sold Etro to my bar manager in 2010 and he continued its success until August of this last year. I was already looking for a place to start a new project and taking over my old business current location just happened to work out. So ironically, I have come full circle with my original endeavor from many years ago.
I have a background in music as an industry dj for over 25 years, with a collection of approximately 10,000 vinyl records. I am also an artist, craftsman, audio and visual sound engineer, IT professional and have a separate business in camera surveillance and door access systems.
I personally built out the original Etro Lounge and have done the same here on remodeling this new establishment. I am a do it yourself individual and I have found there is nothing I cannot achieve if I put my mind to it (support along the way is always a blessing). And I have been fortunate to have family and beloved friends who have contributed themselves to my accomplishments.
My reasons as to this creation, as with my previous establishment Etro Lounge/Etro Nightclub, were and are purely based in artistry. These are concepts that I muddle over for years and then bring to life. They same way a painter thinks about what they are going to create on their canvas is the same way that I envision my concepts.
I create it because I love it, and everything that goes into it. I do not create or adjust it to what others want it to be. I create niche elements that will not cater to everyone, but those whom find it appealing will not just like it… They will Love it.
I am an artist in many facets and appreciate art in all of its facets. I do 99% of the entire scope of the project when I create something, including all of the manual labor. In this endeavor with Sonderbar, I have personally done all of the architecture and interior design work, graphic design work, decor, sound system, lighting, electrical, construction, etc. I know every board, wire, screw and detail in the place. I collect and or create/build everything that goes into it. I am hands on with everything that I do. And I am fortunate to have family and friends who have contributed there time and energy in helping me as well… And it is greatly appreciated.
This endeavor is a fulfillment for me in creation and hoping others find what I have created pleasing. I have worked hard and waited a long time to have the finances to embark on this venture and I have invested it all with myself included.
Opening it in downtown Houston was very much a surprise to me and it only happened out of an opportunity. But I am here now and intend to make the best of it.
This new cocktail bar/lounge/social gathering establishment that I have created is not inclusive of a long list of investors who have nothing to lose. It is just me and and a best friend I’ve know since elementary school and who believed in my vision, helping make my dreams a reality.
One thing that has held true with me over the years since I first created Etro Lounge in the Montrose… Was the number of people who have thanked me for creating a space where they have had so many occasions and memories. I can remember many who met their spouse while at my establishment and went on to raise families… The same way that I did.
These are the same memories that I hope to create for others with this new venture.
The new establishment is broken into 2 halves:
Sonderbar Internationale, which focuses on international craft cocktails, spirits, wines, beers and even sake. We are also doing international Kaffee – espresso, latte, cappuccino (Everything has an international origin, except for our bourbons which of course have to originate from the states).
We currently have over 50 different international beers from over 20 countries and are continuing to grow our selection. (The goal is around 100 beers from 40-50 different countries).
I have space reserved for a small kitchen that will eventually provide small bites such as charcuterie boards, personal pizzas, appetizers, etc. – but still looking for the right person to operate that.
The interior of Sonderbar Internationale is a hodge-podge of vintage, Victorian and mid-century modern furniture, vintage electronics (old stereo receivers, console tv’s, beta recorders, reel to reel tape decks, retro clocks, etc.) old books, and unusual artwork with ornate framing. All with a lighting element from old vintage lamps that are placed strategically throughout the space for ambience.
There is much of an influence throughout the space on Art, Science and Technology… With artwork ranging from a varying assortment of interesting topics ranging from religion, science fiction, 80’s new wave and post-punk artists, innovation, etc. including a large portrait of Nikola Tesla, stills from the first ever science fiction film “Metropolis” from 1927, other science fiction movies such as Dune, Blade Runner, 2001 Space Odessey, etc. and old sci-fi artwork from book covers and magazines.
The music is all hand selected by me with an eclectic range from 80’s alternative and new wave, post-punk, Italo Disco, indie, electronica, gypsy punk, 60’s garage, and similar styles that accommodate. Many of the tracks are sung in international languages such as German, French, Italian, Spanish, Ukrainian, Russian, etc. (No pop-radio play)
There are music videos playing on the old TV’s throughout and I’m currently in the process of adding an additional 15-20 monitors that will show a mixture of old sci-fi movie clips, stop-motion animation, animation in general, art clips, etc. (The establishment is focused on art and No sports broadcast will ever be here.)
A fun and funky mix of all my personal interests and tastes.
Synth Diskoteka, resides inside Sonderbar Internationale and is the dancefloor space and dj environment of the establishment. It operates from 10pm forward on Fridays and Saturdays at the moment, with possible additional nights as we continue to grow. Synth Diskoteka is my re-invention of Etro with a focus on the alternative 80’s, wave, indie, electronica, Italo Disco, and Synthesizer (Synth) influenced music. This a broadened rang from Etro which over the years focused primarily on just 80’s wave.
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You can pre-view some of the establishment here on our social media pages which have photos of the interior as well as the libations we create:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Sonderbar.Internationale/photos
https://www.facebook.com/Sonderbar.Internationale/about_details
https://www.facebook.com/Synth.Diskoteka/about_details
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Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sonderbar_internationale
https://www.instagram.com/synth_diskoteka
Thank you very much and please let me know if you need anything else.
Cheers 🙂
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We’ve only been open a couple of months now and it’s has been taking a slow start gaining recognition and notoriety. But things are slowly progressing as more and more patrons find us.
We are located on the beginning of Main Street on the 100 block just across the bayou from University of Houston downtown campus. This is a largely untraveled portion of Main St. for pedestrians and even vehicles, as the majority of other businesses are further up the street starting in the 300/400 block region. We are also divided by road barriers and the lack of additional business space.
Opening here in this space has definitely meant having to create a destination location.
It is a beautiful building and one of the oldest downtown going back to it’s original construction in 1897.
So far, everyone of our new patrons has commented on loving the environment and overall establishment… and has promised to help spread word of mouth as well.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
The Story of Sonderbar Internationale
In the dim glow of neon and nostalgia, Sonderbar Internationale wasn’t just born—it was destined.
For Reese Haisler, the heart and soul behind this retro-futuristic haven, nightlife has always been more than a business. It’s an art form—a carefully curated symphony of sound, taste, and aesthetic. Long before Sonderbar, Reese was the mind behind Etro Lounge, a legendary Montrose staple that pulsed with the rhythm of underground beats and subcultural style. But fate, in its strange and poetic way, had a different plan.
After selling Etro, the new ownership moved the venue downtown before eventually closing its doors for good. It could have been the end of an era. But as if guided by some cosmic alignment, Reese found himself standing at the threshold of the very same location—now empty, waiting for something new. It was more than coincidence; it was a full-circle moment. And from this moment, Sonderbar Internationale was conceived.
Reese’s vision was never about recreating the past—it was about crafting a future imagined from the past. His passion for art, music, and the global underground had always been an integral part of his identity, deeply rooted in his Czech-Irish heritage and shaped by his travels abroad. From smoky Berlin bars to the avant-garde cocktail lounges of Tokyo, from the cobblestone streets of Prague to the neon-drenched alleyways of Barcelona, he absorbed the essence of every place he visited. The way a drink could tell a story. The way furniture and architecture held history. The way music transcended language, transforming the atmosphere into something surreal and unforgettable.
Most of all, he was inspired by film, particularly classic science fiction—where worlds were built on imagination, technology intertwined with elegance, and the aesthetic was both futuristic and strangely nostalgic. From Metropolis to Blade Runner, from the dreamy surrealism of Jodorowsky to the neon-drenched cyberpunk of the ’80s, these visions shaped what Sonderbar would become.
And then, there was the music.
If anything defines Sonderbar, it’s the sound. Reese’s handpicked playlists are more than just background noise—they are the soul of the space. Thousands of tracks, meticulously curated, spanning ’60s psychedelic to ’80s Synth, Wave, Italo Disco, Post-Punk, New Romantic, Gypsy Punk, Electronica, Shoegaze, and more. Each setlist is a journey, an invitation into another world—somewhere between the past and the future, between reality and dream.
With all these influences converging, Sonderbar Internationale was never just another cocktail lounge. It was an experience, a portal to an era that never was, but always should have been. A place where craft cocktails meet subculture, where international spirits and beers take center stage, where art, music, and design coexist in perfect harmony.
A bar for travelers of time and space—those seeking something beyond the ordinary.
A sonderbar indeed.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Would it sound cliche if I said follow your dreams and never give up? Maybe, but it’s the blue print to happiness and feeling accomplished.
Pricing:
- $10 classic cocktails (24)
- $13 International/Specialty Cocktails (12)
- Free venue space for photographers
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Sonderbar.us
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonderbar_internationale
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sonderbar.Internationale
- Twitter: https://x.com/sonderbar_int
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/T0LJs6fRvc
Image Credits
All photos by Arthur deBerardinis GM/Mixologist/Producer/Social Media Manager/Painter/Dog Daddy
