A new cocktail bar is coming to South End under Tupelo Honey Cafe

It’ll be an upscale craft cocktail bar with a small stage for live music performances.

This is the second venture for Jeff Edwards and Kolby Brinkley who also own The Bar at 316, an LGBTQ-friendly bar in a renovated house just down the street in Dilworth.

You might remember this location as Cathode Azure Club, a nightclub that closed last year.

While the former space had a slick, South Beach vibe with white leather seats, laser lights and a disco ball, Boulevard 1820 is quite the opposite. The decor is earthier and more mature with tile stonework, high-back tufted brown leather booths, crystal chandeliers and an elaborate lighted tree structure in the middle of the bar.

There are about 18 seats at a dominant U-shaped bar to the left, high-back leather booths lining the perimeter and high-top tables in the middle. They’ll also have outdoor seating on the front patio.

There’s also a billiard nook to the right of the bar where they’ll be adding a pool table.

As a private club, Boulevard 1820 doesn’t have to serve food, but they’ve opted to feature a limited menu.

Manager Ty Lockhart says to expect things like sandwiches (he mentioned a French dip and a prime rib sandwich), shareable small plates and cheese plates. But the focus, he says, is on the bar. “It’s a bar with a restaurant in it,” he said, “not a restaurant with a bar in it.”

According to Lockhart, the membership process will be simple, cheap and most likely digital so you don’t have to carry a physical card. (It’s not uncommon for bars in North Carolina to operate as membership-only private clubs. Here’s a refresher on why the law exists.)

Construction is complete and they’re just wrapping up loose ends and final permitting.

Boulevard 1820 will be open 7 days a week from 7 p.m. – 2 a.m. Stay tuned for an update on the drinks and food once they’re up and running.