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Business & Tech

Artsy Sports Bar to Open Next to NAPA

Entrenpreneur Paul Medrano hopes to have Red Star Rock Bar open within 60 days.

Sports bar, classic rock, and art.

Do they go together? And in Seminole Heights?

Paul Medrano wants to find out by opening Red Star Rock Bar at 5210 N Florida Ave., tentatively within 60 days.

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Red Star will occupy a 1,040 square foot storefront right next to a pending. The for locating in the heart of Seminole Heights' burgeoning restaurant and retail scene. Medrano hopes Red Star's unusual concept will be welcomed more by a neighborhood that has a track record of embracing independently-spirited
restaurants and shops.

“It will have more of a hip lounge feel to it,” Medrano said, “as opposed to a typical sports bar or wing house. We're not looking for the dollar beer crowd. We want what I see as more of a bohemian crowd. A little more intellectual banter.”

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Sure, there will be plenty of sports channels on flat screen TVs. But Medrano said the décor will be dominated by the works of local artists, with monthly art shows and wine tastings planned. The ceiling will be painted black, the concrete floor gun metal gray with a giant red star. The pool table with have leopard print felt, and there will be lots of red velvet and red stars all over.

The strains of a Pac Man video game and pinball machine will compete with the din of classic rock.

Out back, the din will be more like Frank Sinatra and Nina Simone. There Medrano is planning a patio deck where he hopes to have food trucks pull up and sell their wares. No kitchen is planned for Red Star.

Medrano said he doesn't want Red Star to start out serving liquor, and is currently in the permitting process to just sell wine and beer. But after six to nine months, he said, “We'll definitely explore getting (a full liquor license). I'd love to serve martinis there.”

Medrano also publishes Boss magazine, which highlights the local art and fashion scenes.

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