‘Bougie’ new lounge with craft cocktails and firepit opens soon in Ocean Springs
What he’s calling a “bougie”new lounge designed to draw people in for conversation over a glass of wine or a martini will open this fall in downtown Ocean Springs, says one of the owners.
The name, Eleven XI Lounge, is a play on the popular number combination 11-11, which means “good luck” or “make a wish.”
“This will be as close to a lounge as you can get,” co-owner Taylor Pontius said. He and his crew are transforming the building, on the north side of Government Street, into a bar area with an outdoor gathering place in the back.
There won’t be loud music, so people can talk, he said, The drinks menu will feature craft cocktails, wine and martinis.
“Bougie” is slang for upscale or fancy, and Eleven’s turfed courtyard in the back, with a glass firepit and lighted landscaping to create some magic after dark, should fit the description.
There’s still a lot of work to do to open the lounge, but Pontius said it definitely will be open in time to serve the huge crowds that fill Government Street and downtown Ocean Springs for the Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival Nov. 4 and 5.
This isn’t his first bar or lounge in the downtown area, Pontius said. He recently opened Red Apple Lounge, also on Government Street, and Lost Spring Brewing Company. His business partner owns Mosaic and the new Evergreen, all in Ocean Springs.
