BATON ROUGE - A new community venue opened its doors Monday at a previously abandoned area on Government Street. Tucked in between downtown and Mid-city, the Electric Depot could be a catalyst for future development in the area.

"I really like Red Stick Social," one customer said. "It's a place Baton Rouge really needed."

"It's fun I like it, it's a lot of space," said another customer dining in.

Derrick Delatorre of Denham Springs traveled a few miles to get first-hand experience.

"Denham doesn't have an actual bowling lane, so as soon as this place opened I had to come," said Delatorre. "I will be bringing my family back, I was thinking about having my son's birthday party upstairs."

With bowling inside and a rooftop bar above, the entertainment will be for all ages.

"Not only will this be an asset for the local community, but we think this is going to draw regionally and across the state as well," said owner Robert Lay. "We are really excited about bringing tourists into the capital city and capital region."

Lay also says it'll be a great opportunity for employment.

"We are certainly trying to bring enough jobs here as we possibly can," Lay said.

"It's just something that this area really needs," Delatorre added. "It has a nice atmosphere, beautiful bowling lanes, good craft beer, good food."

For more information on Red Stick Social, click here.