Food News

The Downtown Crossing space is expected to reopen as a live music-focused restaurant and bar.

A longtime Downtown Crossing bar is preparing for its final weekend — but the space already has a next chapter planned.

Scholars American Bistro & Cocktail Lounge, the multilevel School Street bar that opened in 2011, will close after service Saturday.

Located along the Freedom Trail, Scholars has been known over the years as a downtown gathering spot for crowds looking for drinks, food, DJs, and karaoke.

The bar is marking its final weekend with a pair of sendoff events, including “The Last Friday” on Friday and “One Last Night” on Saturday, according to its website.

Lauren Kay, the bar’s marketing director, said in a statement to The Boston Globe that the team is thankful for the support Scholars has received over the last 15 years and for the memories created in the space.

But the closure will not leave the downtown location empty for long.

“While it’s certainly bittersweet to say goodbye to Scholars as people have known it, we’re extremely excited for what’s next,” she said.

Ownership plans to reopen the space at 25 School St. in late summer as Off The Rails Boston, a new restaurant and bar with a stronger focus on live music and entertainment.

The new concept is expected to feature bands, more live programming, and a setting influenced by both Nashville and Boston. The menu will lean toward “elevated Americana-inspired” food.

The shift comes as Boston’s downtown restaurant and nightlife scene continues to adjust to changing work and commuter patterns since the pandemic. Many downtown businesses have had to navigate smaller weekday crowds as hybrid work remains common.