Drive through downtown Baton Rouge at any time, any day of the week and you’re bound to see something under construction. 
This image has become common in recent months as the Baton Rouge downtown area undergoes its own personal renaissance of sorts. Brickyard South is one of the many businesses joining this healthy economic and cultural movement. This new bar will open Friday just off of Government Street. 
Brickyard South is run by some of downtown’s more familiar faces: co-owners Bryan Rogers; Andrew Bayard,  formerly of The Roux House and Walk-On’s Bistreaux and Bar; Joe Martin, Creative  Director at Red Six Media; and City Councilman John Delgado, who also has a law practice downtown.
“We’re just gonna be a kind of a hole-in-the-wall dive bar that anyone can come to,  from LSU students to blue collar workers,” Rogers said. “We wanted to open a different type of place from what you usually see downtown.” 
Bayard has previous business experience downtown, including currently co-owning Huey’s Bar on Third Street with Delgado. 
“I’ve been downtown for four years,” Bayard said. “Downtown right now, it’s revitalized. It’s been really fun to watch it grow.” 
Bayard cites in particular the opening of IBM’s new office building downtown as “huge” for business. He said one reason for his excitement is the influx of population that IBM would contribute. 
“The permanent downtown residency right now is about one hundred people,” Bayard said. “IBM’s office right around the corner is going to just about double that. They’re putting in residential offices for their employees, and just that new group of people is going to be huge for us.”
He said his vision of Brickyard South is “eclectic, like a mix between a radio bar and The Caterie,” a downtown bar that was just recently shut down due to fire damage. Bayard noted The Caterie for its casual atmosphere and live music every night, but Bayard said Brickyard South will only occasionally have live music. 
Bayard said downtown usually experiences a downturn around football season. 
“Football season would come around, and everyone would go to Tigerland,” Bayard said.
However, he pointed out the “phenomenal” turnout after Saturday’s game against Sam Houston as reason for optimism for the rest of the season.