Brownies 23 East Reopens In Style On Jan. 12

After five weeks of beauty rest, Brownies 23 East is back and ready for its big unveil, according to operations manager Sara Shoenberger.  The bar and music venue, which closed for renovations in early December, will open again on Wednesday, Jan. 12.

“What we’re saying is it’s a new look on a classic place,” Shoenberger explained.

As , Brownies closed in early December for “renovations due to unforeseen circumstances,” according to a message on Brownies’ website. While no other information was provided at the time, what happened in those five weeks is no longer a mystery.

Brownies is now under new ownership, or “new old ownership,” according to Shoenberger. In 2009, Joe Rufo, who had owned Brownies for 14 years, sold the business to a woman who didn’t have much bar experience and who “bit off more than she could chew,” Shoenberg explained.

Brownies was recently resold to the old owner, and meanwhile, underwent major renovations.  

“Everything’s been taken out, cleaned up and painted. … The stage is better, the sound is a hundred times better, and the lighting is better,” Shoenberger said. “This is all stuff that needed to be updated, but it’s nothing we could do without closing.”

The venue also has all new carpeting, bench seating, a more “party friendly” platform area, and more of a “VIP atmosphere,” Shoenberger said.

Along with the new look, Brownies is looking to attract a new crowd—or a new old crowd. The venue’s managers hope to market to the 30s and 40s crowd in addition to its younger customers.

“We’re not just a college bar,” Shoenberger explained.

One way Brownies hopes to attract new customers is through its music selections, which will include local jam bands on Thursdays, a Led Zeppelin cover band, and Chico’s Vibe, a 10-piece band performing on Jan. 21 that many people enjoy coming out to see, Shoenberger said.

“Young people and older people love them,” Shoenberger said. “They do fun stuff like leading a train around the bar to ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered,’ and great dance music everyone can appreciate. They’re a great time.”

Brownies is kicking off its grand reopening with a Sink Or Swim event on Wednesday, Jan. 12 at 9 p.m. with band Split Decision.

“We want to get people out here and show them what we’ve done—tell them we’re back, and thanks for hanging in there,” Shoenberger said.