Photo courtesy of Red Star Bar.
Red Star Bar closed its doors for good Sunday, according to co-owner Gabe Daigle.
Daigle says he, his wife, Robin, and Jeff Kaufman have sold the bar. Details on the business deal and new owners were not disclosed. Daigle is unsure what will replace Red Star, or if the space will go on using the name.
The trio reopened the bar a little more than two years ago. At the time, the bar had been vacant for about eight months. Red Star first opened in 2000, and Daigle remembers the bar as one of the premier downtown spots.
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“Back then, there didn’t seem to be much competition,” he says. “It was Red Star and The Spanish Moon. Those were the places you would go.”
Daigle says downtown’s development and increased competition were reasons for closing.
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“Unfortunately, you can’t get rich off $2 PBR,” he says. “We were very fortunate to have been a part of Red Star when it first opened. It seemed like a natural fit. Baton Rouge has changed dramatically. There are a lot of other options of bars, now.”
Daigle says they had been working on a business deal to sell Red Star for a couple months. When weekday business started decreasing, he knew it was time for a change. Management brought unique events to the downtown dive at 222 Laurel St., including Hipster Bingo and live music.
“We worked hard to make it an event-driven bar, and that’s something you have to do now,” he says. “At the end of the day, we weren’t making it.”