Facelift on the strip

Subhead: Stix Bar and Billiards should open in mid-August after renovations

Stix Bar and Billiards is currently closed and undergoing a remodeling project that aims to make the bar look better.

Greg Budslick, co-owner of Stix, said he started the interior redesign about a week and a half ago and the bar would probably re-open in mid-August.

Budslick said he was very eager for the bar to undergo the remodeling because he was tired of the old look.

"We're basically painting, changing the colors and getting rid of all the green," Budslick said. "I've been sick of the green for awhile."

Most of the flooring and paint has already been stripped. Budslick said the bar would have new paint, tile and carpet floors. The front half of the bar will have new carpeting, he said. The dance floor area and stage in the back half of the building is receiving new floor tiling, he said.

A few walls have been knocked down as well. Budslick said the bar's restrooms are going to be much larger once the remodeling is complete. Before the remodeling, the men's and women's restrooms were located next to one another and were quite small. He said the walls between the restrooms have been knocked out to create a larger women's restroom.

"It will be at least twice as big," Budslick said. "Before it just looked like a big closet."

The new men's restroom will be next to the front entrance, Budslick said. A two-way mirror will be placed in the men's restroom so people can see what is going on out in the bar from inside the restroom but no one can see inside, he said. The new restrooms will allow more people to use the restroom at once and will cut down lines on busy nights, he said.

The bar area is receiving a new bar top and more booths are being added to create more seating, Budslick said. The billiard's section will still have four pool tables, and more televisions are being added, Budslick said.

"We're basically upgrading to make it a more comfortable atmosphere," Budslick said.

Whitney La Mack, a bartender at Stix, said she is excited to see the new changes. She said the bar is going to be a lot classier than it used to be. La Mack said she frequented the bar a lot before she worked there but it has always felt kind of dark and gloomy.

She said some people that come to Stix for the first time do not end up coming back. La Mack said those who have written it off need to come back and check it out after the remodeling is complete.

Mike Hendrickson, a junior at SIUC studying automotive technology, said he frequently goes to Stix. He said the remodeling would make the bar a better place, but would miss the dark atmosphere that made the bar more fun.

"Sometimes you might as well sit and drink at the bar while you wait for your next drink," Hendrickson said. "But I feel I can just let it all hang out at Stix."