After having a “nightclub feel” in the Village for two years, D Luxe Bar and Lounge is revamping its style.
“I just want to put a heavier focus on the craft concept — craft beer, craft drinks,” owner Matt Hurst said. “I want students to be able to come drink those drinks at an affordable price.”
Moving away from its old menu, D Luxe will start serving local craft beer from breweries around Indiana and Michigan with a menu of about 20 different flavors of Long Island Iced Tea.
Hurst said after being the bar’s owner for nearly a year and a half, he wanted to completely change D Luxe.
Some of its renovations came from patrons’ suggestions, concerns and complaints, Hurst said.
To switch up the business and take out its “nightclub feel,” D Luxe will replace the dance floor with more seating and tables.
“We’re going to add some televisions and have sports games on,” Hurst said. “We’ve even considered having a trivia night and a karaoke night once or twice a week.”
Another renovation includes a second, dedicated women’s restroom.
Hurst said he and his business partners thought about changing the concept of D Luxe before the summer. They decided to go ahead with the overhaul since the Village Promenade is nearing completion right across the street, which means more potential customers.
“That development is going to build quite a bit of traffic down here that kind of went away when Dill Street, Cleo’s and Redbird relocated,” Hurst said.
The original plan was to completely rebrand the bar under the name “The Library,” but city ordinances required Hurst to apply for new signage permits that would have taken 45 to 60 days to get approved.
“It was really important for me to offer something new for the students when they come back in the fall,” he said.
Hurst said the student customers are important to his business and he wants to cater the decisions to them. One idea he has considered is allowing students to suggest a beer of the month on social media.
Still, revamping a business under the same name has its challenges, he said.
“I want to reach out to those students who haven’t been back to D Luxe since their first time when it opened in 2012,” Hurst said. “I want them to know it’s a complete overhaul — we’re just keeping the same name.”
With Brothers Bar moving into the Village Promenade, he said he isn’t worried about competition with the new development or future businesses.
“I think more bars or late-night restaurants in the Village is great for the area,” he said. “When people go out, they want to have options.”
Hurst said he is planning a grand reopening around the first week of classes, but details have not been finalized.
“Students will definitely be in for a good surprise when they come back in the fall,” he said. “They’re going to see a brand new bar, and I’m extremely excited about it.”
D Luxe is located at 1608 W. University Ave., right above The Cup.
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