The old adage “the more things change, the more they stay the same,” is not a phrase The Bandit wants to make a reality.
Haunted by the past failures of the 623 E. Boyd Drive location, Bandit co-owners and LSU alumni Kyle Evans and Bryan Rogers are doing everything in their power not to relive the mistakes of Shady’s, Tops and The Levee, all bars that were previously in the spot.
The Bandit, which got its name as a nod to the song “Chinese Bandits” played at LSU football games, held its grand opening Aug. 24, and business has been booming since, Rogers said.
“Business has been excellent,” Rogers said. “We’ve opened the doors, and it’s been a rush since then.”
Evans said he and Rogers always wanted to open their own bar, and it was fortuitous the way they got The Bandit with the space opening up and him being in the right place at the right time. However, the two said their success won’t be as luck-based as acquiring the bar space was.
Evans and Rogers have come up with a new strategy to stay competitive with the Tigerland scene and don’t plan on being a one and done bar.
Rogers said the two plan to use the business experience they’ve gained working in bars around Baton Rouge for the better part of a decade to fuel The Bandit.
“We’re going to take our formula that’s proven and that’s worked in the past at other locations and apply it to this location,” Rogers said. “I have all the confidence in the world that it’s going to work.”
The formula is taking a Tigerland concept, a bar that targets the LSU demographic, and blending it with the service experience at downtown Baton Rouge bars. Rogers calls it the Tigerland experience with the downtown quality.
Evans said another key to success is staying on top of things and always striving to become better, something the previous bars may not have done so well.
“We never want to grow complacent with our success,” Evans said. “We always want to keep trying to grow and keep trying to reinvent things and bring something new to the table.”
Evans stressed that The Bandit is the best of both worlds. He said it’s close enough to Tigerland’s party atmosphere but far enough to be away from some of the problems Tigerland can bring.
The Bandit also incorporates LSU’s sports culture, covering the parking lot with a big tent to grill food and watch football on a large projection screen come gamedays.
Rogers said being the new bar on the block will have everyone checking them out, but they must maintain a high level of service to keep customers coming back and distance themselves from the mistakes of the previous bars.
The Bandit’s general manager and sociology senior Daniel
Gershen said the previous bars in the location went under for a host of reasons no one wants to repeat.
“They just didn’t work out, whether it was not being strict enough with underage drinking, or trying to maintain security or trying to cater to a very diverse LSU,” Gershen said. “I think they just came up short in a lot of categories, and complacency was a big thing.”
The first thing Gershen did to combat these previous mistakes was hire a diverse staff from former college football players, to fraternity members and Southern University alumni.
Gershen said he believes having diversity makes for a better atmosphere.
“I was trying to get a group together that holistically represented LSU,” Gershen said. “Because we want to cater to every crowd and let them come in and have a good time, but a safe time, too.”
Gershen said he and The Bandit’s management team want to start a movement, letting LSU students know they don’t have to go to Tigerland or downtown exclusively to have a good time.
“This is just a product of a bunch of young guys who came up working in bars in Baton Rouge,” Gershen said. “And it’s a little taste of downtown, a little taste of Tigerland mixed into one.”

Gallery • 7 Photos

Ari Ross

Stools line the long, wooden bar at The Bandit on East Boyd.