Along with Three Bones Catering owner Chris Meyers, the owners of Uncle Earl’s bar on Perkins Road—Zac Love and Brian Ott—announced plans at a DDD meeting this morning to open a new bar concept on Third Street downtown.
The as yet unnamed venture will occupy 324 and 326 Third St., formerly home to Latil’s Stationery and Office Supplies, with an anticipated opening sometime this summer.
The bar, which will offer draft beer, live music and a menu similar to that of local food truck Three Bones, will differ in concept and name from Uncle Earl’s. Love describes the atmosphere as a “nice bar and environment where people can come and enjoy some good beer, some good music, and feel clean when they walk out,” meaning smoking won’t be allowed.
Meyers, the new bar’s chef, says the menu will focus on plate lunches, gourmet burgers, fries, tapas and specialty drinks, as well as feature beer and food pairings. While the new bar will occupy the first floor of the former stationery store building, the Uncle Earl’s owners say Serranos Salsa Company owner Andy Blouin owns the building and plans to open a banquet hall on the second floor. Construction on the building, which needs extensive renovations, will begin next week.
Also this morning, DDD Executive Director Davis Rhorer announced that Coca-Cola has agreed to completely restore the historic Coca-Cola sign above the Richoux Building on Third Street. The sign, which is one of the few iconic post-WWII Coca-Cola signs left in the country, has been dark for years, Rhorer says.
While the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, the Downtown Business Association and Entergy have helped maintain the sign through the years, Coca-Cola has agreed to take over the maintenance, restoring the lighting and neon components. Restoration, which is already underway, should take about six weeks, Rhorer says. Rhorer says he is “happy to hear Coke will step up and fully restore [the sign],” especially considering it sits atop what will be the “prominent location of Raising Cane’s.”
Raising Cane’s confirmed last month that it plans to open a restaurant in about 3,000 square feet of the available 8,000 square feet on the ground floor of the Richoux Building, and hopes to have the restaurant open by mid-summer.
