Robar, a 650-square-foot cocktail bar next to The Local 191 and The Blue Plate on Chestnut Street, is scheduled to open this month.Project: Robar cocktail bar.
Location: 191 Chestnut St.
Owner: RAGS Hospitality (The Blue Plate and Local 191), owner Robert Gentry.
Size: 650 square feet.
Design: Revival, Chattanooga.
Contractor: The Strauss Co.
History: In 2006, when The Blue Plate moved into its riverfront space on Chestnut Street, owner Robert Gentry set aside 650 square feet between the restaurant and its neighbor, Hennen's Restaurant, believing it was a little too much for The Blue Plate to occupy. For nine years, the restaurant and its more adult-centric companion, Local 191, have used the space for storage. Now, Gentry is preparing to premiere a 1950s-inspired, intimate cocktail bar there. During the planning stage, the project was referred to as Robar - Spanish for Robert - and the name stuck.
Scope: Robar, a small-footprint cocktail bar in the classic style of a big-city venue, will offer cocktails, wine and a few beer selections, alongside an appetizer menu. Owners want Robar to be a place where folks go before or after a meal or for drinks at the end of the day. Robar will add a handful of new staff to RAGS Hospitality's crew.
Schedule: The bar is expected to open in this month.
Contact: RAGS Hospitality, 423-648-6767.
Contact staff writer Alex Green at agreen@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6480.