Bars in Texas have been hit hard after having to close their doors for months amid the coronavirus pandemic. One long-running Paris bar announced this week that it will no reopen.
“Corn holed by COVID” reads the sign out the front of the old train depot located at 1264 S Main Street in Paris.
After more than two decades of serving patrons, The Depot will not reopen its doors.
“We did try to get funding to help keep afloat and were ready to reopen again when they shut us down again,” said owner Monica Hagen. “The owners of the building did a lot to help us out but we just couldn’t keep going.”
Hagen said the decision to close “absolutely killed us” stating that the effects the coronavirus has had on the bar and restaurant industry are “crazy and unfair.”
“People are losing everything,” she said. “I’m one of them. It’s crazy and unfair.”
Originally opening in 1999, Hagen said some of her fondest memories of The Depot include the events they hosted and out of town visitors stopping by to see the old building.
“We’ve had amazing New Year’s Eve parties and some great artists play on our stage. Many of them would stop by and visit after playing at other venues in town. We’ve had fashion shows at The Depot and we’ve done so many crazy stuff,” laughed Hagen. “We’d also often have really sweet older people stop by who remembered leaving the train station to go to World War II. They would often bring their grandkids or partner to The Depot to visit.”
Hagen said she also loved the bar inside The Depot which was an old streetcar that once took passengers downtown and that the bar was also haunted.
“We loved our ghost,” she laughed. “The ghost was a little old man who just hung out. There are so many stories about him opening and closing doors etc.”
While this may be the end of a chapter for The Depot and Hagen, she said they do have plans to open another restaurant in Paris soon.
“We are finalizing details and are excited to announce in the coming weeks what we are working on next.”
According to reports, the building is set to become an events center.
