Rene’s Bar is synonymous with Thibodaux to many, often rarely mentioned without its iconic tagline following closely behind—“A Piece of Thibodaux’s History.”
Widely considered Thibodaux’s first bar, Rene’s was established in 1909 by Rene Bernard.
The establishment floated around downtown Thibodaux in the early twentieth century before it settled at its current location in 1938, this time with the help of Bernard’s brother Raoul “Rox” Bernard, as well as his brother-in-law, Oscar Molaison.
Both Bernards had left the business by 1955, with Rene’s passing in 1943 and Raoul’s delving into his own business venture, the equally iconic Rox’s Bar nearby, thus leaving Rene’s in the hands of Oscar Molaison.
The bar continued to pass through generations of the Molaison family, from Claude Sr. to sons Claude “C.J.” Jr. and Wayne “Hick” Molaison.
Now, following C.J.’s retirement this past May—accompanied by a raucous send-off in typical Rene’s fashion, as advertised on the bar’s Facebook—Rene’s is managed by Cami Pitre. Pitre worked as a bartender for ten years under the tutelage of the Molaison brothers.
It was a decade spent embraced in the spot’s culture and charm, learning the traditions that were the very foundation of its recent renovation.
“The special thing about her is, this is in her blood, her heart,” James Bouterie of JLB Entertainment, LLC stated. “She really wants to turn this place around. It’s nice to see people going in there.”
A key instrument in the revitalization of Rene’s, JLB Entertainment, LLC of Thibodaux, leased the space after the building’s previous tenant parted ways with the bar, eager to take the chance to “share [their] vision with [the Molaison family, and] bring it back with some updated features.”
Efforts to modernize the space were made before its grand re-opening in August, with new technologies added.
The décor was upgraded (and, according to Bouterie, an age-old layer of gunk was scraped off the floor thanks to his persistent effort to get it sanded), though both the family and the LLC’s main goal is to encapsulate the bar’s well-known charm.
Camaraderie is in the very essence of the establishment, a spot eager to openly welcome all crowds. From local firefighters—a group whose history intertwines with the bar’s, given Rene Bernard’s devotion to the department—to nearby Nicholls students, everyone is welcome.
The bar spans generations throughout a single night, with seasoned regulars often appearing earlier and a younger crowd arriving later.
Still, every patron, both old and new, comes with the same purpose—to bask in a certain sense of long-standing community specific to downtown Thibodaux, to lounge in a slice-of-life experience straight out of an episode of Cheers.
Bouterie, when referencing a social media post utilizing the show’s jingle made by the bar, found himself amazed at the correlation, at its ability to describe the heart and soul of Rene’s.
“Rene’s truly is Thibodaux’s Cheers, where everybody knows your name,” Bouterie stated. “I said, ‘The slogan should be—Rene’s: “Where You Know Everybody’s Name.”
