A new speakeasy, no password necessary
Circa owners are opening Hearsay, a sumptuous cocktail den. Tired spouses of shoppers are welcome to sit and sip.
Walk through the side door at Circa, head down the hall and you’ll find Baton Rouge’s newest not-so-secret hideaway.
Hearsay Social Club opens July 17 inside the antique store, with lush colors chosen by St. Francisville designer Ellen Kennon, an overall design by Circa owner Garrett Kemp, and cocktails with the help of Scott Higgins, the former Blend owner and certified sommelier.
No password required. No secret knock. No fedora necessary. “I’ve spent too much money to keep people out,” Kemp said.
Hearsay will be open Thursdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 11 p.m. It will be on Government Street, part of the main Circa Antiques itself.
The lounge will have snacks, though Kemp plans to bring in food from the outside, including pop-up chefs and food trucks.
The cocktail menu was still being finalized this week, so Kemp was reluctant to name names. The larger idea, though, is clear: a lush bar with a little surprise, the drinks leading the conversation.
Hearsay is part business plan, part love letter to the Circa business. It gives Circa another source of revenue, brings new people into the antique store and gives shoppers a reason to linger. It also gives spouses who have reached their antiques-shopping limit a civilized place to wait.
“We think we’ll stand out because of our unique setting inside an antique store,” Kemp said, “with fresh and local ingredients and a creative and inventive cocktail menu as our focus.”