The guest experience at the Circa 1857 antique shop in Baton Rouge is about to get a bit boozier with the upcoming opening of Hearsay Social Club, a small cocktail lounge inside the larger shop at 1857 Government St.
Owner Garrett Kemp told What Now New Orleans that the cocktail lounge was inspired by the desire to add a revenue stream to his antique shop and experiences in different cocktail lounges around the country.
“While we have experienced a lot of growth in online sales, we really wanted to figure out another way to get people back into our traditional retail setting,” Kemp said. “Going into a bunch of different little bars and speakeasies around the country kind of just got my brain going. And I thought… Okay, let’s see what kind of space I’ve got for something like that.”
Kemp was about to carve out a 1,000-square-foot space for Hearsay Social Club, which is slated to open in July. In keeping with the antique store, the cocktails being designed by Kemp and consultant Scott Higgins are meant to be rare and highly sought-after.
“Our main focus is on offering fresh, high-quality ingredients and focusing really on creative, inventive drinks,” Kemp said. “So, you know, we won’t necessarily be the good vodka-soda spot, to say the least.”
“Hopefully, we will be inventive enough that the menu will be one-of-a-kind and you won’t find our drinks anywhere else,” he added.
In addition to cocktails, the lounge will offer beer and wine with a specific European focus. This is also meant to match Circa 1857, which specializes in British and French antiques. The lounge won’t have a proper kitchen, but small plates of bar snacks will be available.
Taken all together, Kemp said he’s looking to create an intimate, sophisticated space that currently doesn’t exist in the capital city.
“We got a great bar scene,” he said. “It’s lively, but I don’t think that there’s anything else in Baton Rouge that’s quite like what we’re doing. I think this will be a one-of-a-kind.”
