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Popular downtown eatery The Monkey Barrel checks out by ringing in new year
Owner plans to find new site; Italian restaurant planned for old location
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The Monkey Barrel bartender Alissa Collins tends bar Saturday night at the downtown Gainesville restaurant and bar. Open since 1993, the longtime watering hole closed its doors for a final time.
The Monkey Barrel is more than just a bar. It’s where Matt Forbes comes after work to unwind, and where newlyweds Sam and Paul Bolling had their first date back in 2014. Sam, a regular who comes to the bar at least once a week, made sure to reserve herself a seat for the bar’s final night Saturday.