Dayton’s Red Star Vodka Bar to close its doors Dec. 27

Red Star Vodka Bar and Cocktail Lounge will open on Feb. 28, 2020, in the former Proto Buildbar space. The bar will have a Soviet-era Russian vodka theme. ALEXIS LARSEN/CONTRIBUTED

Red Star Vodka Bar and Cocktail Lounge will open on Feb. 28, 2020, in the former Proto Buildbar space. The bar will have a Soviet-era Russian vodka theme. ALEXIS LARSEN/CONTRIBUTED

Dayton’s Soviet-themed Red Star Vodka Bar and Cocktail Lounge has announced that it will be closing down for good, over four years after it replaced the Proto BuildBar at 534 E. First St.

In a social media post, the bar said its last day will be Friday, Dec. 27.

“The bar business - while rewarding - can be a challenging one, and a number of factors, both personal and business related, brought us to this difficult decision,” the post read.

The Red Star opened its doors just before COVID restrictions began in February 2020, reopening again in June 2021. The bar featured a moody design that the owner described as a “cross between the opulence of Soviet-era Kremlin and a punk rock dive bar”.

The bar is owned by Chris Wire, president of Real Art and founder of Proto BuildBar. Alex Todd is Red Star’s co-creator and bar manager.

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