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Austin, Texas’ Molotov Lounge is Slightly Soviet and Ahead of Its Time
By Jenny Adams
Austin's Sixth Street district— the place could only be more appealing for bar owners if all the spilled Jägermeister were to suddenly turn to oil. More than 30,000 guests visit on single, high-traffic weekend nights, a number in which any entrepreneur with half a concept could find fortune — if he could only find rentable space. Saturated with a mix of tourists, trendsetters, college kids and music connoisseurs, the area is teeming with kinetic energy in the form of entertainment value.
 But for Brian Pacheco, Bill Hogan and Troy Moore, the seasoned end of Sixth Street didn’t hold enough charm for their concept, no matter how deeply the guaranteed pockets ran. Two years ago, what many deemed as a move too far west of the action, today has caught a second glance. Located on the corner of Sixth Street and West Avenue, Molotov Lounge has garnered a loyal Austin following and proven that it is not always all quiet on the Western Front.
Welcome Home
Opened in January of 2005, the idea was a dream begun several years before in the minds of the current ownership trio. While slinging drinks on the more infamous end of Sixth Street, Pacheco says their thoughts and eyes were turned west, in hopes of moving into their own space, in an area they saw as a future contender in the battle of Austin nightlife.
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Molotov has filled the void of what many in Austin were craving —
a sophisticated evening away from the energy drink-infused mayhem of Sixth’s eastern counterpart and without the little black dress code of the upscale Fifth Street.
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“For the previous couple of years, Troy and Bill and I kept an eye on that area,” Pacheco says of their initial site speculation. “There were a few other bars that weren’t doing that great, but they had hung on a couple of years. We saw it all moving that way.”
Finally settling — in a somewhat unsettling scene — the chosen building’s previous history actually aided in eliminating the stigma some bars face when migrating into residential surroundings.
“The building itself used to be the Travis County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Building,” Pacheco says.
“It was a very forgettable building ... kind of an eyesore. We knew it was an interesting thing when we were building there, and people would ask what we were going to put in, and we would go, ‘A bar,’ and they were all happy. You know it was a pretty bad deal before whenever residents are happy a bar is moving in.”
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Throughout Molotov, hanging artwork creates soft walls and emphasizes the theme.
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The Artful Aspects
Armed with a creative concept, a close friend in the architecture business and an outright fear of becoming trendy, the design recipe intended to create harmony with juxtaposition.
“It is traditional Austin, tied into a loose Russian theme,” Pacheco says. “I say ‘loose’ because I didn’t want people to walk in and have it look like the Kremlin. Throughout everything, we were thinking dichotomy.”
The clever use of opposing elements lends intelligence and a feeling of surprising revelation as one moves through the space. The downstairs bar is constructed of a stainless steel grid-work surrounded by the softer element of wood with a 12-foot long central section of ice where guests can rest their drinks. The Russian theme continues to twist in and out of the design in the form of soft walls created by giant hanging canvases of art. Created by architect and decade-long friend, Drew Randall, the paintings pull the space together while pushing out the concept of a typical bar scene.
“He got the idea of doing these from Vladimir Lenin propaganda posters,” Pacheco says. “Instead of going with Vladimir Lenin, he went with John Lennon song lyrics and titles written in Russian. One of them is this retro, very Austin-looking lady; another one is an Americana-type, Ward Cleaver-looking guy, and they are both holding drinks with fire coming out of them. They add a whole lot to the downstairs cause you can see them from outside.”
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Located on the corner of Sixth Street and West Avenue, Molotov Lounge has garnered a loyal Austin following and proven that it is not always all quiet on the Western Front. |
Environmentally Capacitated
The 360-person capacity space calls people in off the street by displaying the party outright — twice. The front of the building has an open Nana window, spilling snatches of conversation and music from the downstairs party onto the sidewalk. But, the addition of an open-air rooftop above it has proved invaluable in the success of the fledgling Molotov.
“So many places just want somewhere to have outside seating,” Pacheco says. “We put so much in this downstairs, and we thought, ‘Let’s bring everything we love about that upstairs, make it look like they belong together.’”
The men put all of the steel structural supports in place when they first opened so that the roof deck could follow as a second grand opening.
“The bar did really well right off the bat,” Pacheco says. “So we were able to open the deck by October of the same year. You could tell when people came up, they were a little awestruck. We did more than put patio furniture outside.”
With exposed Adirondack seating, additional Randall-original canvases, an outdoor pool table and a live Magnolia tree, the upstairs deck has become a favorite of both the patrons and owners.
Who’s Drinking What?
Molotov Lounge may not be all Russian, but it is definitely a vodka lover’s bar. With 35 choices, the arsenal includes the standards of Absolut, Grey Goose and the entire Stoli line. But, Pacheco knows how hard it is to start out, and he says he makes room for the worthy contemporary offerings, as well.
“My personal favorite in the vodkas is the Charbay Line from Napa Valley,” he says.
The beer representation is equally refreshing, with eight on tap downstairs and six above, including the Asian beer, Kirin. “Our rep just came in the other day, and we actually brought that in for him ... just to help him out,” Pacheco says. “But, it has turned out to be a pretty good beer.”
The Long, Cool Nights Ahead
Molotov has filled the void of what many in Austin were craving — a sophisticated evening away from the energy drink-infused mayhem of Sixth’s eastern counterpart and without the little black dress code of the upscale Fifth Street.
“Our main late-night crowd is anywhere from 23 to 40,” says Partner Troy Moore. “It is young professionals who are done with the college, beer bar scene. They are a little more low-key, but they are still ready to go have a good time. It is a place where you can get anything from a nice Champagne to a Lone Star beer, and you can come in shorts.” Surrounded by loft apartments and the rise in popularity of the city’s downtown real estate, Molotov, ironically, is waiting for the explosion. “I just see a lot more development going in,” he says. “Downtown living is the new thing in Austin.” NCB
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