A month after The Underground’s sudden closure, the venue at 211 E. Chestnut St. has officially re-opened with a new identity: Bar Two Eleven.
The 21-and-up, reimagined nightclub is run by Julie Rofkar, The Underground’s former manager. She hopes to increase the venue’s focus on “live acts of all kinds,” including music, theater, circus arts and other performances.
But while Bar Two Eleven is a new concept, it’s not yet a separate business. Bar Two Eleven is a registered trade name for The Underground as of Aug. 15, according to the Washington Department of Revenue. The Underground owner Brian Tines is the sole governing person, though Rofkar plans to switch the license into her name by the end of the year.
The Underground shut its doors in late August, just days after announcing its imminent closure. No public cause was given. But while this announcement was unexpected, Rofkar said Tines had mulled over the decision for “quite a long time.”
“[The Underground] was 18 and over for quite a while and they had a hard time getting past that,” she said. “Then there were some things reported … saying there was a shooting in there, and it was very hard to get past that as well for [Tines].”
No shootings occurred inside the club, though two men were wounded in a shooting in the alley behind The Underground in July 2022.
Rofkar is aware The Underground had a “bad rap” in the community, but she said Bar Two Eleven is completely different. “I don’t want people to judge before you come in and see,” Rofkar continued. “I’m trying to make it a fun atmosphere for everyone.”
Bar Two Eleven’s event schedule is available online and currently features tribute band performances on most Fridays and Sundays. Other upcoming events include a Sept. 27 Western country night with Whiplash Rodeo and an Oct. 25 Halloween show with Three for Silver and the Bellingham Circus Guild.
Bar Two Eleven opens at 7 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Info: bar211.com.
Cocoa Laney is CDN’s lifestyle editor; reach her at cocoalaney@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 128.
