‘Good Old, Loud, Sweaty Dance Club’ From Cheer Up Charlies Alums Opens in Downtown Austin

A new tropical-themed lounge and dance club, Coconut Club, is now open in downtown Austin, courtesy two former employees of the beloved bar Cheer Up Charlies. Coconut Club opened in the former home of Moonfire Lounge and its rooftop event space The Vaughn at 310 Colorado Street in the Warehouse District, as of Friday, November 22.

“The idea of the bar spawned from our mutual love for good old, loud, sweaty dance clubs and colorful, beachy design,” Coconut Club owners Cole Evans and Brian Almaraz told Eater.

The bar menu will include lots of frozen drinks (think: piña coladas) as well as drinks with tropical flavors, Gatorade-based drinks (“for the hangover-conscious”), and nonalcoholic options. Given that Almaraz was the Chronicle’s bartender of the year in 2017, the drinks will include fresh ingredients rather than syrups.

Coconut’s kitchen, which will open later next year in the spring, will serve healthier bar food “inspired by various island cuisines around the world.”

Evans and Almaraz say that the physical space will be very different than Moonfire. The bar will have a dance floor on the lower floor while the upstairs rooftop will have a more leisurely atmosphere. The pair hosted pop-ups during South by Southwest, where DJs playing a variety of music, which they hope to continue in the new space.

Moonfire opened in August 2017, but closed in June this year after owner Ian R. Weightman died suddenly.

This article has been updated to reflect Coconut Club’s opening date.

• Coconut Club [Instagram]