Duke’s On Water Closes After 22 Years
Water Street bar and the co-located, co-owned Varsity shuttered May 15.
Duke’s on Water. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
Two downtown bars have permanently closed amid renewed discussion over late-night safety on Water Street. Duke’s On Water and the co-located, co-owned Varsity shuttered after service on Friday, May 15.
The news, confirmed by Duke’s in an online post, comes just under two months after a deadly shooting near the taverns at 154-158 E. Juneau Ave. It also follows a tumultuous era for the conjoined businesses, which changed hands several times in recent years.
A Water Street fixture for more than two decades, Duke’s was known as a destination for tap beers, bar games and sports viewing on its many TVs. Varsity, formerly Scooter’s Pub, served as a hub for DJs and theme nights.
Co-owners Andrea Shafton and James Baade sold the two bars to Tim Sluga and his business partners in 2024.
On the group’s first day as operators, Maxwell Anderson and 19-year-old Sade Robinson were captured on surveillance video drinking at Duke’s. In June 2025, a jury found Anderson guilty of killing and dismembering Robinson later that night. Robinson’s family filed a lawsuit in April 2025 against Duke’s On Water and Twisted Fisherman — an earlier stop — alleging both businesses left Robinson vulnerable by serving her alcohol.
The suit was dismissed July 22, 2025, the same day Shafton attended a licenses committee hearing to regain ownership of the bars. Sluga, who was present at the meeting as a manager, said Duke’s hired an entirely new staff after the incident.
Aside from a year-long hiatus, Shafton and Baade operated the bars since 2006, following a remodel that created the dual-tavern configuration. Shafton’s history on the property stretches further back; she has been involved in operating bars and restaurants there since 1990, beginning with Ken Elliot’s Casual Fine Dining and later Mel’s on Water.
The closure comes at a pivotal time for Water Street, as business owners and city officials brace for warmer weather and concerns about a seasonal uptick in crime. Preventive efforts include new restrictions on dockless scooters and a city-approved food truck curfew for the area, which has been temporarily blocked by a court.
Shafton did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
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