La Charreada restaurant renovates bar

IU students and Bloomington residents now have a new place to go to late at night to get a drink.\nMexican restaurant La Charreada, 1720 N. Walnut St., recently renovated its bar and is currently celebrating its grand opening.\nThree years ago, two of La Charreada’s managers in Bloomington – Carlos Almeida and Juan Valery – began thinking about redesigning the restaurant’s bar and replacing it with a more modern, sophisticated bar. While the city is not lacking in bars, Almeida saw the need for a place for people to have a drink while relaxing and listening to music.\n“We needed something different in Bloomington, a different atmosphere,” he said. “... We basically destroyed everything from the ground up.” \nEight months and $100,000 later, the renovation is complete and features including several flat-screen televisions, couches and tables for dining. \nNachos and salsa, guacamole and cheese dip will be served along with different drink specials every week. Almeida plans to serve $1 off martinis Monday through Thursday, in addition to specials on margaritas, daiquiris and beer.\nAlmeida thinks the fact that waiters serve patrons their food and drinks at their tables differentiates La Charreada from other local bars.\nFor IU student Rebecca Kallman, the new bar is an added bonus to the restaurant.\n“It’s just a really fun place to eat at,” Kallman said. “They serve great, cheap food, which is what students really look for.”\nAlmeida hopes that by separating the bar area from the restaurant, patrons can enjoy a relaxing evening watching music videos and listening to “lounge” music in addition to Latin, pop and dance music. Although it’s still early in the planning process, Almeida said he envisions bringing in live entertainment in the future. \n“We don’t want to pack the place like some of the bars in Bloomington,” Almeida said. “We just want people to feel comfortable.”\nSophomore Briana Baker, a frequent diner at the restaurant, is excited about its new plans.\n“I used to go here before (the renovations) and it was like any other bar,” Baker said. “But I’ll definitely try out this new one and get my friends together.”\nAs more people become familiar with the new addition, Almeida and Valery said they hope to see an increase in restaurant and bar patrons.\nJulio Muniz, an employee at the restaurant, believes the renovated bar space will increase the restaurant’s profit.\n“We’ve already seen a lot more customers,” Muniz said. “There’s more space, and that way we can hold a lot more people.”\nThe restaurant will stay open until 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and until 9 p.m. Sunday, according to its Web site. The bar will stay open until 3 a.m., Almeida said.