While campus was away on spring break, one local bar said cheers to 20 years.
Campus Quarters, located on 107 State St in Bowling Green, celebrated its 20th anniversary under the ownership of husband and wife duo Joe and Lauren Kostelnik. The couple took a leap of faith in 2005 after graduating from BGSU and opened the bar after less than a year of dating, a move Joe and Lauren said sparked a conversation about their relationship and brought them closer together.
“So we talked about it in regards to our relationship, like, ‘Do we want to do this enough that even if you and I don’t work, we’ll still be able to work together and function,’” Joe asked. “Eventually, we said yes.”
Joe and Lauren said they’ve tried to keep the spirit of the previous owners’ atmosphere alive by bringing together campus and city community members under one safe, inviting roof.
“It’s all the people I say that maybe used to go downtown that don’t like going downtown anymore,” Joe said. “We skew probably 60/40 college students, but it’s a 21 and older bar, so it definitely brings a little bit more of a chill vibe.”
Campus Quarters hosts a variety of specials and events throughout the year, including the 14-day club, the shot club and other community-oriented specials. The bar is Bowling Green’s official bar for the Browns Backers, a worldwide official Cleveland Browns fan club, and through this, the bar hosts fundraisers Joe and Lauren said give back to the BG community.
“We do a lot of fundraising,” Lauren said. “We’ve helped a lot of different organizations: schools, BG Fireworks…we raise money for the Autism Society every year through our Browns Backers program, and we’re here for the community.”
The couple said they know the reputation of bars in a college town, but they pride themselves on what they’ve done and the atmosphere they’ve created and maintained over 20 years.
“You know, I think sometimes bars get a negative connotation, especially in this town because it’s a college bar, but we’re here,” Lauren said. “We’re people that live here, that value the place you live and want to create a safe, fun place.”
The bar’s recent 20th anniversary celebration featured shot specials, the original power hour and a reunion with workers and regulars across Campus Quarters’ 20-year history. Joe and Lauren said the celebration was a great way to reunite the Campus Quarters community and celebrate what makes the bar special.
“We had had employees that came to visit that haven’t been here in 10 or 15 years,” Lauren said. “A lot of people, a lot of old staff, a lot of friends and a lot of regulars, and to us, that’s what keeps us alive, so that’s what we wanted to celebrate.”
The couple said they recognize that businesses often come and go in Bowling Green, but they credit stubbornness, adaptability and the power of community for their 20 year tenure in town.
“I’ve had people recently tell me that when they’re walking in here, they feel like it’s home, and we’ve always tried to provide an atmosphere where everybody is accepted,” Joe said. “There’s no bullshit, no outside drama and we adapt to what’s going on in the times to try and find our place.”
Joe and Lauren said their hope for Campus Quarters’ future is to continue their momentum and open their doors to new audiences. They encouraged people who haven’t come in before to drive the extra few minutes over from downtown and check it out.
“We like to think a Bud Light is a Bud Light is a Bud Light wherever you buy it. The reason people go out to bars is for the environment that they create, the personalities behind the bar, the whole vibe,” Lauren said. “We know we’re a little bit out of the way, but we think we’re worth it.”
