Ivy League-Themed Downtown Bar Seems to Have Closed

Academia, the Ivy League-themed cocktail bar in the Warehouse District, appears to have closed for now in downtown Austin.

Doors at the 208 West 4th Street address were locked during business hours on Monday, and a neighbor in the area said the place had been closed for a few days. While Eater has reached out through email and phone directly to no response, a former PR rep for the bar replied that the team said they are “currently evolving,” though no further details were provided.

Academia opened in December 2017, billed as “an Ivy League university of drinking” per a truly over-the-top press release. It’s the brainchild of Russell Davis, who was the mixologist in Spike TV’s show Bar Rescue and got his start at next-door bar and restaurant Péché.

The cocktail bar advertised several unusual features, like lighting designed by a Cirque de Soleil director, a lectern to give “orations” in return for a shot, and “ambient scents and pheromones.” It also offered a $100 chocolate martini earlier this year.

The West 4th spot has been home to a number of relatively short-lived restaurants. It was previously Isla, an island-inspired restaurant from Péché owner Rob Pate that opened in 2015 and shifted to Peruvian food before closing in 2017. Before that, it was Caribbean rum bar Pleasant Storage Room, which opened and closed in 2014.

Eater will update this article with any new information as it comes in.

• Downtown Ivy League-Themed Bar Academia Is Now Open [EATX]
• All Coverage of Academia [EATX]