The space overlooking Toomer’s Corner between Pieology Pizzeria and Moe’s Southwest Grill will be the new home of Quixotes Bar and Grill if the Auburn City Council approves plans for a new bar downtown.
The new bar and event space has been referred to as Oak Tree Corner in City Documents.
The approval of Oak Tree Corner will come down to a vote during Auburn City Council’s meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 20 and is likely to break ground before the spring semester begins. The building is hoped to be completed in fall 2017.
Students appear to have mixed feelings about the change, mostly a blend of nostalgia and excitement. However, Logan Owen, junior in business aviation, arguably has some of the strongest.
“Of course I am excited to see the possible growth of the beautiful restaurant that is Quixotes, but it does kind of make me sad because of all of the times I’ve had there with my friends,” Owen said.
Owen said he often refers to Quixotes as Auburn’s “local watering hole,” and jokes he will chain himself to the patio railing in protest.
“On Friends they have Central Perk, but in Auburn with my group of friends we have Quixotes,” Owen said. “It’s the spot where if you don’t know if you’re going to run into your friends, you can just go there and you’re going to find them.”
Logan says he feels every social he’s gone to in the past three years have been in Quixotes, along with many of his favorite college memories.
“The exact minute I turned 21, I was in there," Owen said. "My friends and I counted down to it right in the main entry area and I had taken my parents there earlier that day."
Owen said he also feels sentimental at the possibility of this New Year’s Eve celebration likely being Quixotes' last.
“On a serious note, it’s good for Quixotes because it will bring a little more competition downtown,” Owen said. “Auburn doesn’t really have much downtown nightlife competition since Sky kind of rules the game, being the biggest bar.”
Hayes Grogan, junior in business and economics, said his feelings about the possibility for the change is bitter-sweet.
“I think it’s cool that they’re moving and I think it’s cool that it’s going to be new, but I think that it’s not going to be the same because the old Quixotes has so many memories there,” Grogan said. “It’s going to be weird not going to Quixotes anymore because it’s like I’ve lived there for the past three years.”
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