The next chapter
New chapter for San Antonio cocktail bar after closing the book on downtown space
Don’t write off the Last Word just yet. According to the Boulevardier Group’s Jeret Peña, the bookish Houston Street bar may be serving its last cocktail in the current space on April 30, but the hunt is already on to find a location for its next chapter.
Peña said the underground space just didn’t work out for the hospitality company, whose bars include The Brooklynite and Tucker’s Kozy Korner. “We opened it during the boom of 2015, but this summer we took a huge hit and the revenue wasn’t as good as we hoped,” Peña told CultureMap.
With the help of a friendly landlord, the group was able to get out of the lease to focus on new projects. Peña did not disclose what exactly Boulevardier has in store but hinted that there would be an announcement in the coming months.
The retooling of the Last Word won’t be the first time the group has brought back one of its concepts. After beloved neighborhood joint Stay Golden Social House closed in March 2017, Boulevardier recreated the vibe for a new bar at 1900 Broadway St., the aptly named Still Golden Social House. That bar debuted in March of this year.
As for the underground lair that Last Word formerly occupied at 229 E. Houston St., it won’t stay empty for long. Immediately after Boulevardier moves out, the space will become a pop-up venue for Houston Street Charities to host San Antonio Cocktail Conference events. According to Houston Street Charities executive director Cathy Siegel, the nonprofit hopes to host happenings a couple of times a month once it gets into the full swing of things.
The first shindig in the series will be a book signing and appearance from Nico Martini, the author of the new book Texas Cocktails, on May 18. Guests will be able to sample some of the drinks from the book, which includes recipes from some of the state's top mixologists.
The new space will also be just a few steps from Bohanan’s, the seafood and steakhouse concept from SACC founder Mark Bohanan.
“It will be fun to be next door to Bohanan’s, the heartbeat of San Antonio Cocktail Conference,” said Siegel. “And we’re excited to be on Houston Street where we’ll be able to bring educational cocktail seminars and craft cocktail events to the heart of downtown, continuing the programming that people have come to count on from us.”
