Owners of upcoming San Antonio bar La Ruina dish about redesign of historic downtown-area building

The creators of revered San Antonio bar The Modernist will soon open a new oasis for cocktail lovers, La Ruina, with a focus on “Tropical American” tipples.

However, the Current's exclusive walkthrough of La Ruina and conversation with owners Olaf Harmel and Gerry Shirley ahead of the spot's Saturday, Sept. 3 grand opening suggest its decor may be almost as much of a draw as its drinks.

Harmel and Shirley purchased and began renovation on the bar, located on the ground floor of the historic Robitzsch Brothers Building at 410 Austin St., before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The duo used both old and new materials that — at first consideration, anyway — may sound like a bit of a mess. However, the bar's use of exposed brick and repurposed wood offers a lived-in vibe that vividly evokes its tropical inspiration.

Fresh paint in hues such as deep emerald, plum and lavender — as well as an effect that transitions from salmon to barely-there pink — butt up against punchy wallpaper featuring animal and plant life native to Central America. Velveteen stools in misty rose belly up to the bar. Chairs boasting cognac rattan accents or tropical foliage upholstery surround brass side tables.

Harmel and Shirley created the custom baseboards, accents and bar top using wood pulled from the building’s walls. The new owners sanded and planed the longleaf pine — commercially extinct for almost 100 years — and put it to use throughout the space. They also repurposed ceiling slats, transforming them into a wall treatment for the impressive back bar.

“We stripped them down and took the color scheme from all those layers of different paint colors that you see," co-owner Shirley said on the tour, pointing to the bar. "That's when we decided for sure that we wanted a tropical place.”

“We didn't have an idea for what this building was going to be. We just got to know the building over several months, and it kind of revealed itself slowly,” Harmel added. “We tried to preserve as much of it as we could. All we did was clean it up and make it safe. It was already dramatic.”

La Ruina, which translates to “the ruins,” is dramatic, indeed.

The towering front doors and exposed brick are original to the building, which the city designated a historic landmark. The previous occupant poured time and effort into the backyard, which La Ruina's partners opted not to raze.

“There's lots of trees, and it was already a bit of an oasis out there, so we went around every single tree and maintained that gorgeous canopy,” Shirley said. “We hear all the time from people that frequent [nearby bars] Boxcar [Bar] and Burleson [Yard]. They're in this parking lot all the time, and they're always surprised that that backyard oasis is here.”

The neighboring businesses were part of the draw to the building, the owners said. Every surrounding establishment — family-friendly Burleson, nightspot Boxcar and loungey Artisan Distillery and Craft Bar — offers its own unique vibe.

“That's the neat thing about this location. Everybody has their own kind of clientele, and there are some that overlap, and that extends to [nearby bar Tony’s Siesta],” Shirley said. “I consider this whole collection of spots all kind of part of the same thing. You can hit 1221 and Rivera and Maverick Park just over the way. I think some infill has definitely started connecting all these different areas.”

La Ruina will open to the public this Saturday at 4 p.m. It will exclusively serve cocktails made with rum, tequila and mezcal. House sangria will also be among its offerings.

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