Red Star Bar closed its doors for good this past Sunday, according to co-owner Gabe Daigle.
As Daigle tells 225 Dine, he and his wife, Robin, along with Jeff Kaufman, have sold the bar. Details on the business deal—or the new owners—were not disclosed. Daigle says he’s unsure what might replace Red Star at 222 Laurel St.
The trio had reopened the downtown Baton Rouge bar a little more than two years ago. At the time, it 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.
“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.
“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 he and the co-owners had been working on a deal to sell Red Star for the past few months. When weekday business started decreasing, he knew it was time for a change. Management brought unique events to the bar, 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.”
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