BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — A new bar in downtown Baton Rouge hopes to create a place where people can feel at home while serving classic cocktails.
Bar owner and Baton Rouge native Joseph Lejeune said he wants people walking into 13 Social to feel a laid-back atmosphere like they’re sitting at a kitchen table.
“I want to create an old-style drinking bar where people can feel like they’re family and welcomed,” said Lejeune.
13 Social offers classic cocktails and a few martinis, including a popular signature Key Lime Pie Martini. Other variations offered are a French Martini, Chocolate Martini, Cosmo, Lemon Drop and Dirty Martini.
In an effort to create a safe space for women, 13 Social offers a Girls’ Night Out special serving $7 martinis all night on Fridays. The special has “taken a life of its own,” said Lejeune.
After growing up with three sisters, he said there’s no tolerance for disrespect toward women in his business, adding that he has no problem throwing someone out for being disrespectful.
“I’ve always been, like, a bar person, and I’ve been in a lot of places where I feel like the customer shouldn’t have to come up and defend a woman in the bar,” said Lejeune. “I feel like staff should be keeping an eye on it and say, ‘Hey, it’s time to go.’”
Differing from other bars in the city, 13 Social is open 365 days a year. Although Lejeune said they were forced to close for one day after the Spanish Town Parade to do some cleaning.
In the future, Lejeune plans on hosting events showcasing live music and mini-festivals in the back parking lot.
13 Social is at 350 Third Street in downtown Baton Rouge.
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