A traditional bar and grill establishment with a modern flair and contemporary style is coming to Perkins Road when Bumsteers arrives at the end of January.
Even before the restaurant opens its doors, the Bumsteers crew is already focused on delivering an atmosphere unlike anything else in Baton Rouge: something that aligns with the bar culture of the city’s storied history while keeping up with the changing times. According to co-owner Eric Carnegie, customers will be hard-pressed to find a better impression in the area.
“I think we will have the best atmosphere, hands-down — the obvious (thing) being that we have a rooftop bar,” Carnegie said. “We got patio tables on it, pool table on top, AstroTurf there … little kid area where they can play.”
A grill can only be measured in terms of the food, and Bumsteers promises a one-of-a-kind culinary experience. Carnegie said the restaurant will feature ingredients all made in-house and a slew of freshly-squeezed juices for the lineup of cocktails.
Being right on Perkins Road will no doubt offer appeal to the University’s student base, with the college demographic already in the minds of Bumsteers’s staff.
“The overpass area, it’s already got a lot of college people that go to that area and we are definitely adding something for them … we’ll have on Friday and Saturday nights music and DJs on the rooftop, great drink specials late at night, cheaper stuff, food served late at night,” Carnegie said.
This isn’t Carnegie’s first foray into the food business. Along with co-partner Chad Hughes, Carnegie has opened numerous eateries all around the city.
“We’ve got a lot between the two of us, the restaurants that we all have between the two of us, we opened up Bengal Taproom last year. I’m also an owner of Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar downtown, Chad’s a part of Kalurah Street Grill,” Carnegie said. “That’s our restaurant experience.”
With all those restaurants comes a diverse selection of food for all kinds of people. But where the overpass area is lacking, and where Carnegie says Bumsteers will make one of its strengths known, is the focus on family dining.
“We wanted to open something up that is also family-friendly,” Carnegie said. “There’s something for the kids, there’s something for everyone. We want to be well-rounded — there’s not a lot of places where you can take kids around that area, and that’s something [Chad] hears from locals, and he’s got kids as well so he knows.”
Carnegie believes the inclusion won’t stop there. As an owner, he feels a responsibility to care for both his customers and the area itself.
“Being that we have all these restaurants and bars, we want to be able to give back more to the community, as well. Not just around the overpass area, we want to partner up with a lot of causes. We have a duty as owners knowing to provide services,” Carnegie said. “We want to give back to the community, and we think Bumsteers rounds itself out well as far as our restaurant group and bars go … being a stronger influence in the community.”
Bumsteers will offer an unprecedented take on the traditional bar and grill setup that has occupied the streets of Baton Rouge for years. If anything, Bumsteers is an honoring of the establishments that surround it and a hope for a successful future.
“The overpass area is a staple,” Carnegie said. “Some of these places that have been there, they’ve been there forever, and we’re just glad to add to it and hopefully bring even more people down there.”
