BIZ BUZZ
Jesco’s Bar & Lounge serves up small-town charm
TAYLOR — Stepping into Jesco’s Bar & Lounge feels like taking a step into a homey neighborhood pub, the kind featured on cozy British television shows.
A gleaming wooden bar top runs the length of the room at the newly opened watering hole, 1119 N. Main St. The music is low enough for conversation but loud enough for privacy. A few booths and a bistro table stand ready to greet groups, but owners Mike Kane and Jason Powell say most people prefer to sit at the bar.
“People are telling us this kind of bar is something Taylor has been missing for a while,” Kane said. “We want Jesco’s to be part of Taylor’s friendly, hometown feeling.”
The location has been a bar for generations, though it recently sat empty.
The new owners updated the interior, replacing the ghost of cigarette smoke with a clean smell, new fixtures, updated seating and a pool table. Kane and Powell began renovating the building in March and were ready for customers in late July.
Powell said even with the changes, the bar has kept its timeless feel.
“It’s going to stay just like this,” he said. “The bar part will always be a place to relax and enjoy conversation and community. Outside is where we’ll have deejays and be trying new things like vendor fairs or food-based events.”
The partners cut their teeth working at clubs in Austin’s famous Rainey Street entertainment district. The duo said they enjoyed laboring together and wanted to go into business, and when a real estate agent showed them the property in Taylor, they instantly knew it was special.
In addition to the bar, the property has an outdoor yard with plenty of seating where children are welcome. The space is set up for families to enjoy an afternoon together. The area has a stage for live performances and the owners are currently building custom television cabinets and shade shelters.
A second building, the lounge, opens into the yard and has a “mini-nightclub” feel.
The lounge can be rented as an event room that can hold up to 50 people. Deejays often spin music in the lounge or on the outdoor stage.
Jesco’s doesn’t have a kitchen, but it hosts special events centered around food trucks and seasonal offerings, including a recent seafood boil featuring Texas Crab Co.
While Powell and Kane have not moved to Taylor yet, they spend every day at the bar serving up small-town hospitality. In just a few short weeks, they are always at Jesco’s and have gotten to know quite a few of the people who have already made it their home away from home.
“We’re meeting new people every day, and we already have a group of regulars,” Powell said. “Everyone in Taylor just seems really friendly and welcoming, and that’s the feel we want to keep at Jesco’s.”
Jesco’s offers a signature cocktail menu including a blackberry mojito and a non-alcoholic drink called the Mock Up. The owners said they wanted to make sure the bar felt inviting, and part of that was setting a price for drinks that ensures people can afford to come in and stay a while.
The lounge offers a list of premium cocktails at $10 and a $3 beer special each day.
Hours are noon to 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and noon to 2 a.m. Thursday through Sunday.
Jesco’s Bar & Lounge 1119 N. Main St. in Taylor For more, visit jescos.com.
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