Leva Bonaparte Celebrates the Launch of Her New Charleston Bar
The Southern Charm and Southern Hospitality cast member shared several looks at the handsome new lounge located on Charleston's King Street.
Leva Bonaparte has added another pillar to her nightlife empire.
On Friday, August 25, the Southern Hospitality boss officially opened the doors to Lamar’s Sporting Club, a handsome Charleston bar located at the former home of her 1st Place sports pub. The establishment — which is named after Leva’s husband/business partner, Lamar Bonaparte — was announced at the top of the month and had a private soft opening on August 24.
In a statement to The Post and Courier, Leva and Lamar described the lounge as “a luxurious destination that promises to elevate the vibrant nightlife of Charleston’s King Street.”
“Showcasing meticulous attention to detail in its exquisite design, Lamar’s Sporting Club will be a cutting-edge fusion of exclusivity, sports, and nightlife, catering specifically to Charleston’s patrons and tourists alike,” the husband and wife added.
A Look Inside Leva Bonaparte's New Charleston Lounge
A day after the soft opening, Leva took to Instagram to share an inside look at the 2,000-square-foot lounge. The Southern Charm mom reposted a handful of Instagram Stories that showcased some of the drink options, as well as the bar's interior design that was equal parts classic and cozy.
As with most sports bars, the vibe of the new lounge was kept quite masculine: Dark wood paneling was seen throughout the intimate space, which featured leather Chesterfield sofas, gorgeous banquettes, dark cocktail tables, taxidermy mounts, and floor-to-ceiling shelving that displayed everything from photographs and ceramics to books and old-fashioned knick knacks.
What's on the Lamar's Sporting Club menu?
“At the heart of the venue lies the crown jewel, an exceptional sporting club boasting the city’s finest selection of classic cocktails, ensuring an unmatched experience for our guests,” Leva and Lamar said.
In addition to the handcrafted cocktails, Lamar’s Sporting Club will reportedly offer a selection of beer, wine, premium spirits, and more. The Charleston couple also confirmed that the bar will have live entertainment on select days.
Leva Bonaparte brings her fashion A-game to the launch
On Sunday, August 27, Leva posted a photo of her and her sisters snapping a mirror selfie during the bar's soft opening. Leva donned a beautiful white cocktail dress with playful cutouts on the front, and accessorized with a blush-pink Gucci clutch and mix of gold and silver jewelry. She credited her stunning hairdo to celebrity stylist Mac McAbee, and her glam to makeup artist Julien Nicolas.
“We are more sweats, big socks, snacks and Netflix kinda hang night sisters,” she captioned the photo, “but this night we got all shinned up for Big Lamar!”
Leva Bonaparte on Being a Restaurateur in Charleston
The club, which is now open for reservations, is part of the Republic Development & Management Group, a hospitality company owned by Leva and Lamar. The couple currently operates three other bars and restaurants in the Charleston area: There's Bourbon N’ Bubbles, which was featured in Southern Charm Season 8; Mesu, a fusion eatery that specializes in sushi and Mexican cuisine; as well as Republic Garden & Lounge of Southern Hospitality fame.
“My husband and I are business husband and wife in Charleston. We are restaurateurs. We’re a little well-known,” Leva said in Episode 2 of Southern Charm Season 7. “When we opened Republic, it was a huge success. I’m talking like line up around the block and it’s still the ‘it’ spot in Charleston. Then Bourbon N’ Bubbles is our high-end lounge on King Street and then you continue down the block where we parked Mesu and we are in the process of opening a high-end sports bar (the aforementioned 1st Place)... We wanted to bring Miami and New York to Charleston. So we built it and they came.”
