One of the Arts District’s Biggest Bar Venues Is Up For Sale

The Los Angeles Arts District neighborhood continues to change rather rapidly, and now here’s a chance to change right along with it. Per a listing with the folks at Urbanlime Real Estate, it seems that the popular Villain’s Tavern is now on the selling block, though it won’t come cheap.

While the Urbanlime email that has been spread around doesn’t specifically name Villain’s Tavern outright, it’s not hard to guess at the property with the details provided. The listing is for a 4,600 square foot space with “convenient parking” (Villain’s is basically an island in a parking lot) and a large covered patio, plus a type 48 liquor license for food and booze. The listing also mentions live music and a one-of-a-kind build-out, which is certainly true of the longtime funky bar, which first opened in 2010.

When asked, owner Dana Hollister confirmed that Villain’s Tavern was indeed up for grabs, with rent at just over $12,000 a month and $450,000 in starting money. The longtime Eastside and Downtown restaurateur has been slowly selling off several of her properties of late, a consequence of an expensive lawsuit involving Katy Perry (among others) regarding, of all things, a Los Feliz convent property.

The chance to own the Villain’s space will likely be too good for some enterprising restaurant and bar lifer to pass up. The property sits on what is now some very desirable land, wedged right in between some of the biggest names in Downtown LA dining, including the hard-to-get-into Bavel not far away. Interested? Contact Urbanlime directly.

Villain’s Tavern. 1356 Palmetto St., Los Angeles, CA.

• LA’s 12 Essential Arts District Restaurants [ELA]