Austin Way Magazine - GreenGale Publishing - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/367813
photography by briana purser (container bar, bar 96) 114 AUSTINWAY.com Bridget Dunlap has transformed Rainey Street with her bars Lustre Pearl, Clive, Bar 97, and the Container Bar, turning it from a sleepy, hidden neighborhood into a defining hot spot for those who go out on any sort of regu- lar basis. There are now Rainey Street people, along with Sixth Street people, East Siders, and so on. "The East Side is so—and I'm so sick of this word—hipstery," says Dunlap. "They are the people who ride bikes and whatever. Not my jam." The Queen of Rainey Street, as she's referred to by many, embraces expletives and is unapologetic if that offends those around her. Though she often comes off as snarky on page, she translates differently in person. Yes, she speaks her mind, but she would also be the kind of good friend who actually tells you if your pants aren't f lat- tering. The Houston native who's "43, no, 44" loves the city and its outdoor lifestyle, but there's not an Austin sen- sibility she feels the need to imbue in her bars. "I wouldn't think, oh, this piece of Austin is mine. I really need to nur- ture it and make it into something else for the people." In fact, her larger mission is to brand her four Rainey Street bars as a package that could be re-created and placed in college towns across the country. "I want to work smarter, not harder," says Dunlap. t h e n i g h t l i f e t i t a n Br idget dunlap "I wouldn't thInk, oh, thIs pIece of austIn Is mIne. I really need to nurture It and make It Into somethIng else for the people." —bridget dunlap clockwise from top: Container Bar; Bridget Dunlap at Container Bar; Bar 96.