New Black owned bar in South Sacramento is entrepreneur’s dream come true

The Florin road bar and grill formerly known as Shakey J’s, is now under entrepreneur Robert Logan’s ownership and management.

Eighty-Eleven, named after its location at 8011 Florin Road, was a long-awaited dream for Logan.

He purchased the bar during the pandemic., a move he called a ‘risk’ both because of the amount of money he invested in to the lounge and the uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’ve been taking risks all my life to get ahead in life,” said Logan. “But this is one of the best things that ever happened to me - besides my kids and my wife - you know, the chance to start my own business.”

Eighty-Eleven held its grand-opening on April 25.

The bar and lounge hosts happy hour from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m on Sunday and weekly theme nights like Sundress Saturday’s, Xclusive Sunday’s, a bi-weekly Pride night, and a nightly karaoke option.

Logan sets the atmosphere and motto for business by holding himself to the highest standard and treating everyone the same.

You’ll often find him behind the bar, or washing dishes and taking out the trash when necessary. If there’s trash on the floor, or in the parking lot, he doesn’t overlook it. He contributes to the work and he has the respect of his employees.

“Growing up as a kid in the projects you always had to find some kind of way to make some kind of little money,” said Logan.

He’s sold CDs and candy, mowed lawns and took out neighbors’ garbage on trash days.

After high school, Logan worked as a server and ultimately a bartender, where he became an avid poker player.

He made a living off his winnings and even pivoted to online poker games during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I put my work in and I said I was just going to play till I got my own business,” said Logan. “I always wanted to have my own bar.”

The first-time bar owner told the Sacramento Bee he is eager to learn something new every day Eighty-Eleven is open.

It’s one of the foundations in which he tries to live his life: take anything you do in life seriously.