Bars in the news; Former Station 211 reopens as Red Lion

From the News-Gazette

Former Station 211 reopens as Red Lion

CHAMPAIGN – The Red Lion has roared again.

On Friday evening, the Campustown bar formerly known as Station 211 reopened with a new look and a name that evokes the building's past as a live music hub for Champaign-Urbana.

The bar, at 211 E. Green St., opened its doors after several months of renovation. Its name, Red Lion, recalls the Red Lion Inn bar that stood on the same corner and was a popular spot for local bands from roughly 1968 to 1980. Dan Fogelberg and REO Speedwagon, among others, played there.

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"I was going for something a little more upscale, more of a nice, clean environment," he said of the new Red Lion. Bar patrons, he said, tend to take care of places when the interior looks nicer. The bar closed in mid-July and has been undergoing the renovation since then.

Inside, the table tops are designed to look like shields. Artwork, including tapestries, depict medieval scenes. The new maple and oak bar has lion heads on its corners. Wood salvaged from a house and barn also brings a rustic look to the interior.

"We wanted to give it a different look," he said. "And we're trying to be very diverse."

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Several televisions in the bar will show football games and other sports events, and the bar will open early on game days.

A private room called "the dragon room" in the rear of the bar can hold up to 100 people.

The bar just serves drinks; however, private parties can have food catered in.

Bars in the news; The Red Lion: Old bar to reopen under new name

From the Daily Illini

The Red Lion: Old bar to reopen under new name

The bar formerly known as Station has been undergoing renovations since June. By Saturday, students will finally get to experience the new environment for themselves when The Red Lion opens; but it might not be what they were expecting.

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“We disassembled a 150-year-old barn and brought in the wood to put on the walls. There’s a set of castle doors mounted to the wall by stone to make it look authentic. The back room — it’s called the Dragon’s Room — has a scene from ‘The Hobbit’ painted on the wall. We tried to get that medieval-era feel throughout the bar,” Cochrane said.

(Cochrane is Scott Cochrane)

Along with having live music and a prevalent “old world” theme, Cochrane also wants The Red Lion to cater toward avid sports fans.

Students should expect flat screen televisions around the bar as well as a projection screen playing big sporting events on game days.

Because, when I think of going to an anachronistic bar, the thing I most want (other than shields) is flat screen tv's.

The bar’s grand opening event, called “Oktoberfest,” will also kick off Saturday with the Illinois home football game against Ohio State University. Trippin’ Billies, a Dave Matthews tribute band, will be playing at 4 p.m. and DJs are scheduled to provide music and entertainment throughout the day and night. The bar itself may open before then pending inspection.

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“I’m about to redo Geo’s (Chill & Grill) in Urbana and that will be called Mugshots,” he said. “The new name of FuBar will be divulged very soon but it will be a world pub, I’m trying to work on an international theme with it. I’ll tell you one thing, it will have a beer garden the likes that this town has never seen.”

A "beer garden the likes that this town has never seen", that's a bold statement. Good luck.