Downtown Springfield will get a new addition to the bar scene when Duane Williams and Jaime Estell open Fluid next month.
“I’ve been a hairdresser for 26 years and owned a couple of salons,” said Williams. “I turned 50 this year, and I decided instead of buying a sports car for a midlife crisis, I’d open a bar.”
Estell said, “I have a lot of experience in the bar industry – being behind the bar, as a DJ… my heart has been in wanting to own a bar as well.”
The business partners have signed a lease for the main floor space at 319 E. Jefferson St., which Williams said has been vacant for many years.
“It’s been a hidden gem for quite some time; there hasn’t been anything in it,” he said. “The décor was stuck in the 80s, so we had to make some improvements to it. But it will have a brand-new bar, flooring, paint, all that. One of the south-facing walls is all windows, so it’s a great place to sit and watch what’s going on in the city.”
As for the name, Williams said it is a play on the term gender-fluid.
“In today’s society, the gender norms are so varied now. Everybody is welcome (at Fluid),” he said.
Along those lines, Williams and Estell said they intend to appeal to a variety of clientele.
“We’re hoping to hit the 5:30-8:30 p.m. crowd of a more mature nature, people who want to sit and sip a cocktail and have a conversation when the music isn’t blaring at you,” said Williams. “Then we’ll transition into more of a dance club at night.”
“We have a 1,200-square-foot dance floor, so our goal is to pack that on Friday and Saturdays,” said Estell. Plans also call for live music and karaoke.
While the official hours of operation will be 2 p.m. until midnight, Fluid’s liquor license will allow alcohol to be served until 2 a.m. Williams said the business will most likely stay open later on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
“I’ve been downtown working in the bar industry, and you end up paying a lot of overhead for someone to just play on their phone if there are no customers,” said Estell. “But if people are there having a good time, we’re not going to send anybody home.”
In addition, Fluid will be open seven days a week, even on holidays.
“A lot of people don’t have places to go on holidays,” said Williams.
A grand opening is planned for Saturday, May 3.
“We’re excited for Springfield to come see someplace new,” said Williams.
