By james art 
The Downtown Cocktail Room, a key venue in the Fremont East Entertainment District in downtown Las Vegas, is set to close its doors in November. The bar, located at 111 Las Vegas Boulevard South, opened in 2007 and quickly became a symbol of the area’s urban revival and nightlife culture.
“The Downtown sign (has) been a beacon for those seeking great cocktails and fun city vibes for nearly 18 years, but like all things in life, it must eventually come to an end,” reads a poignant message on the bar’s Instagram page on Saturday morning. No reason was given for the closure.
Jonathan Jossell, executive director of the Plaza Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas, reacted with horror, commenting: “Noooooooo. If it wasn’t for the Downtown Cocktail Room, there’s a good chance I wouldn’t have spent the last 17 years in downtown Las Vegas. Wow.
The Downtown Cocktail Room wasn’t just a bar; it served as the birthplace of important urban development ideas. Tony Hsieh, the late former CEO of Zappos, conceived the plan to move the shoe retailer’s headquarters from Henderson, Nevada, to downtown Las Vegas while at DCR in 2010. During a conversation with the bar owner Michael Cornthwaite, the idea was presented to establish a new, tech-inspired workspace in the desert outside of Las Vegas. Cornthwaite challenged Hsieh, asking, “Why don’t you just build this here?”
That conversation set in motion a major transformation of the area east of the Fremont Street Experience. Fueled by a $350 million investment from Hsieh, following Amazon’s $1.2 billion acquisition of Zappos in July 2009, the Fremont East Entertainment District began its metamorphosis in January 2012, evolving from a crime-ridden area into a trendy neighborhood.
However, Hsieh’s trajectory took a tragic turn. His behavior became increasingly erratic, prompting him to quit Zappos and leave Las Vegas in August 2020 for Park City, Utah. Tragically, Hsieh died just three months later in a house fire in Connecticut at the age of 46. Since his departure, Fremont East has visibly gone west, marred by shuttered storefronts and dwindling traffic.
Last September, Hsieh’s estate sold DCR along with other properties such as Inspire Nightclub & Bar, Corduroy, the Griffin, Smashed Pig and Flippin’ Good for $14.6 million to Branden Keating’s Logic Commercial Real Estate. Scott Robben of Casino.org’s Vital Vegas highlighted the implications of this transition, noting, “Tony Hsieh’s deep pockets often kept businesses on Fremont Street viable, including subsidizing rents. Without Hsieh’s help, some stumble. We wouldn’t be surprised if there are more changes to come in this stretch of Fremont East after a change of landlords.”
The closure of the Downtown Cocktail Room appears to be one such change. The bar’s Instagram message ended with a thank you: “Thank you for the tremendous love and support over the years.”