Bar None Creations announces the permanent closure of 1UP Orlando and HighT Orlando

Sad news as yet another two downtown Orlando bars have closed, with the owners citing financial strains and the decline of Church Street as the reason for the closure.

Orlando's Bar None Creations has announced the sudden closure of 1UP Orlando and HighT Orlando due to financial strains.

Both 1UP Orlando and HighT Orlando were located in the same building at 23 Church St W, Orlando, with 1UP Orlando on the ground floor. and HighT Orlando above.

Another Bar None Creations venture, the popular Cocktails & Screams, a themed Halloween-inspired bar, located at 39 W Pine St, Orlando is unaffected by the closures.

1UP Orlando which opened in 2022, was a themed retro arcade bar, complete with vintage arcade games, a Ninja Turtles Pizza Wagon, and a Life Sized Barbie Dream House, while HighT Orlando, which opened in April 2023, was a very unique and immersive cocktail experience themed to Alice in Wonderland.

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Bar None Creations announced the news of the shock closures with a post to 1UP Orlando and HighT Orlando's social media accounts today, Wednesday, April 2.

"With profound sadness, we must announce the closure of 1UP Orlando and HighT Orlando.

This is not the ending we had envisioned. For years, we poured our hearts, souls, and dreams into creating something truly special—a space where imagination ran wild, where reality melted away, and where magic lived in every corner. But despite our passion and relentless fight to keep these dreams alive, the overwhelming financial strain of operating in Downtown Orlando with the restrictions placed on nightlife including the fees from After Midnight Alcohol Sales Permit (AMS), coupled with the decline of Church Street, has left us with no choice but to say goodbye."

The overall decline of downtown Orlando as a nighttime destination is alarming, with other recent closures including Hamburger Mary’s which closed its downtown Orlando location in May last year for a move to Kissimmee, then Church Street Entertainment closed five nightclubs in downtown Orlando in December, Cahoots, Chillers, High Tide, and Irish Shannon’s on Church Street, along with Ember on Central Boulevard, and in January, Broken Strings Brewery announced its closure at 1012 W Church St after a decade in the business.

In the statement announcing the closure, the owners of 1UP Orlando and HighT Orlando admitted that they had been working tirelessly to keep the two locations open, "We tried. We tried everything. We adapted, we restructured, we fought against the tide, but in the end, the weight of insurmountable costs and unforeseen challenges proved too much to bear."

They went on to thank customers, and staff who now find themselves without a job, "To our amazing and talented staff and those who laughed, danced, and lost themselves in our worlds—to those who stepped inside the Barbie Dream House at 1UP or tumbled down the Rabbit Hole at HighT—please know that you were the heartbeat of these spaces. Every moment, every memory, every connection made within our walls meant everything to us. Without you, none of this would have been possible."

They reassured everyone that Cocktails & Screams remains open and issued a plea to support the bar to keep it open, "While this chapter ends in heartbreak, Cocktails & Screams remains open, and now, more than ever, we need your support to keep our spooky haven alive and thriving."

You can read the full statement here:

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