Bar Balcão in SP could close its doors with the sale of property for building construction
Sao Paulo
About a month ago, the owner of the property on Rua Dr. Melo Alves from Jardins contacted Francisco Millan, Chico, to inform him about the possibility of selling the space to developer Paladin.
Weeks later and after the purchase is “virtually complete,” according to the facility’s owner, there is uncertainty about the future of the business that opened in 1994 on the same site, on the corner of Alameda Tietê. With its huge counter that occupies the entire room and is surrounded by high stools, the bar has become a meeting place for writers, journalists and visual artists.
Chico says he had a friendly chat with the developer and the company has shown an interest in the remaining bar. “Even though we’re on opposite sides of the border, we’re not at war yet,” he explains.
However, the owner says he’s only interested in staying if the bar stays open as it is and that’s still an option. “In this industry, the walls breathe, they have a lot of history. If you change everything, smoke out and leave everything brand new, it becomes a different place. And when that’s impossible, you have to resist,” says Chico.
According to him, one of the ideas came from a client who suggested the space be listed. “Then we’ll look for all fronts to defend ourselves, but we haven’t gotten to that point yet,” he says.
Closing its doors to make room for the construction of buildings, the bar is included in an evergrowing list of spaces affected by the city’s verticalization, such as Mercearia São Pedro, Oregon Hamburger Shop, TeatroD, Bar Caracol and the properties on one side of Rua Edson Dias in Pinheiros, where bars like Azulzinho and Kingston are located the latter closed its doors for good while the other merged with Meretriz, from the same owner and across the street.
Another case that had repercussions was that of the Espaço Itaú de Cinema annex on Rua Augusta, which closed in February.
