Monday night marks the last night of jazz music and business for beloved Exposition Park staple the Amsterdam Bar.
Owner Mike Scheel confirmed the news after it was first posted on the bar's Facebook page and reported by Central Track. Speaking by phone, Scheel attributed the bar's closing to his desire to start a new chapter and to open a cidery in Dallas in the next year.
"When I was young, owning a bar and living on top of it was stellar," he said, adding he has two kids in elementary school he wants to move out of the nightlife-centric neighborhood.
Scheel, who's owned Amsterdam Bar for 18 years, says he brewed his first batch of cider when he was a teenager and has been hatching his idea to manufacture the beverage for about five years. (Under Texas' three-tier system, citizens cannot own a retail establishment that serves alcohol as well as manufacture it.) He's currently working on securing a location.
Amsterdam Bar follows its neighbor Meridian Room, which closed in November. The bar was famous for Monday's jazz nights, known as Bad Ass Jazz Nights. The last on takes place March 2. The bar will be open from 4:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.
