Later, Later doesn’t imply a lackadaisical attitude. No one is putting anything off or waiting for later. Quite the contrary, the partners that created this after hours bar is hoping you won’t wait to stop by and visit their comfortable yet contemporary space. Perhaps the gambit is in fact to lull you into a sense of comfort so that you never leave.
As promised in our 9 Things to Look Forward to in 2016 article, the INSIDER asks owner, Johnny Escalante a few questions about Later, Later, which is now open for business near the Union Plaza District.
Q. Thanks for speaking to us at the INSIDER Johnny. What is your role at Later, Later?
A. I am a partner at Later, Later along with Enrique Cervantes & Scott Walker.
Q. Later, Later is supposed to bring back the comfort of your living room and the building is a home built in the 30’s. Who designed the bar to make it an inviting multi-dimensional space?
A. So, when we found the property, we wanted to keep the look/feel of a home. We knew we had great bones in the structure of this house and we wanted to highlight those features. Truth is, my partners and I designed this bar as we started construction and we had an idea of what we wanted but we weren’t sure what we would find when we started tearing down walls, floors, ceilings etc. We wanted furniture to feel comfortable and bar space to feel like a library. We had Charles Austin Design Studio and Root Architects help us with the city planning and layout of this concept.
Q. In your press release you mentioned Austin, Texas – what aspects of Rainey St. in Austin, are you trying to capture and how does that play into the El Paso Chihuahua’s crowd?
A. My partners and I live by the UTEP area and have seen the downshift in business on Cincinnati Street. When we decided we were going to do this, we looked around that area first (we had a signed lease at the now Tippi Teas location on Boston St. but that fell through). After that, we focused on the [ballpark] area – we feel San Francisco heights has some great architecture and opportunities. We met with Renard Johnson who’s doing the apartments behind us and we had the same goal of revamping this area of downtown.
Q. You mention “dance” in your press release. What kind of musical offerings will there be to encourage dancing?
A. My partner and I have been in the concert/events business for 5 years now, we are huge fans of music. We aren’t saying we will have a dance floor with a dj, but we want to focus on feel good music, songs that will make everyone enjoy the ambience and social atmosphere, and occasionally make you sing along and dance a bit.
Q. Sounds inviting, so are there any signature drinks at Later, Later?
A. Yes! We started with just a few cocktails while we train staff and get used to the flow. We will be adding more later, but you’ll have to come by to check them out.
Later, Later is located on 109 N. Coldwell St. behind the El Paso Chihuahuas ballpark close the to the Union Plaza District of Downtown El Paso. For more information call (915) 626-5351
All photographs courtesy of Johnny Escalante and Later, Later.