Bottoms up: New bar brings unique spin to Bowling Green nightlife

Women prepare to take a shot at the new bar Shots Saturday night. The new bar, which has only been open a month, is considered a pre gaming bar before hitting the downton sqaure area.

Anna Roederer

By Anna Roederer

At first glance, it is easy to miss the tiny building called Shots, First Call and Pub Crawl.

Two WKU alumni, Chris Abend and Andrew Cole, opened Bowling Green’s newest bar at 1044 State Street on August 1. The idea behind Shots is as unique as its small size.

“Our goal is to take out the guesswork for what is going on that night,” Abend said.

In order to do so, local businesses pay to advertise inside of Shots.

In two minutes, you know exactly what is going on in twelve places in Bowling Green for that night, according to Abend.

“We can’t think of anywhere else that is doing this,” Abend said.

Brian Jarvis, owner of Tidball’s, is supportive of the idea behind Shots.

“I think the whole concept is a very good idea,” Jarvis said. “We don’t look at each other as competition, but as allies.”

Abend hopes that Shots will break the moniker of “Boring Green.”

“There is nothing dead about Bowling Green’s nightlife,” he said. “We are just trying to change the culture a little bit. We want people to enjoy what’s in their own backyard.”

This is the inspiration behind the name, Shots, First Call and Pub Crawl.

Shots opens earlier than most places at 8:30 p.m.,which allows people time to get their drinks and to see what is happening in Bowling Green that night before heading out to other local establishments.

“Our goal is to get people moving and to see what Bowling Green has to offer,” Cole said.

Shots also closes at midnight, so as not to be in competition with most bars, which stay open until 2 a.m.

“If you are going out in Bowling Green, Shots is a wise place to go,” Jarvis said.

The pub crawls so far have been unstructured. This Friday, however, is the first organized pub crawl in conjunction with Vette City Roller Derby. There is no price for admission to the pub crawl which starts at 9 p.m. and lasts about two and half hours.

Not only does Shots provide the distinct concept of working together with other local businesses for the benefit of the whole community, but it is also unique in serving pre-made shots which allows for quicker service.

“We are the Starbucks or McDonalds of the business,” Abend said.

Shots offers 20 different party shots every month. The type of home bar that a person would need to come up with the drinks that Shots serves would be cost prohibited, according to Abend.

While Shots is designed to be a fun and high energy bar, safety is a top priority.

“This is not going to be a high school bar,” Abend said. “Our goal is to be on top of everything and within confines of the law.”

Shots accomplishes this goal by hiring people trained to spot fake IDs and signs of intoxication. The bar is also accessible to WKU’s Purple Line.

There are plenty of ways to get home that don’t require driving, Abend said.

For those 21 and older, Shots supplies an exclusive one-stop shop for a good time and a guidebook to Bowling Green’s happenings on a given night.

Shots is open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 p.m. to midnight. You can contact them at [email protected], facebook.com/shotsbg or find them on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat at @shotsbg.