Downtown businesses announced Monday that they are taking over the popular Wine Walk Wednesday's after a dispute with the event's previous promoters.

In a press release, Karen Dean, general manager of Boudreaux & Thibodeaux, said the owners and managers of Stroube's, Capitol City Grill, The Roux House, Happy's, Schlitz & Giggles, The Wine Loft, Tsunami, Red Star, Punchers, Boudreaux & Thibodeaux and the the soon-to-be-opened, Lucy's, met Monday to discuss the creation of a downtown bar and restaurant alliance to help market the entertainment district together.

The Wine Walk was being managed by an outside promotions company. Similar to a pub crawl, wine lovers can pay a registration fee of $10 to the promoters of the event to enjoy a variety of wine tastings at participating downtown restaurants and bars.
 
Dean said that although the event was initially pitched by the promotions company as an opportunity to market downtown and the businesses, the only people making money turned out to be the promoters themselves. She said the venues were asked to give away the wine, waive cover charges and reduce food and wine prices to spark interest in the event.

The promoters (whom the downtown businesses did not name) never offered to invest or share even a portion of their revenue earned, Dean said, and they refused to defray any of the costs when asked directly.
 
Under the new plan, the registration fee from the wine walk will be managed by the alliance and used to advertise and promote the downtown entertainment district only, Dean said.

"The people who own and manage the participating bars and restaurants have had a vested interest in this event all along," Dean said. "We're excited about working together and building a better downtown Baton Rouge with the revenue earned from the event."

Registration will be in the Manship/Shaw Center breezeway between Stroube's and The Roux House patio. Cost for the event will remain $10, which includes two free two-ounce wine tastings at each venue. Featured wines will be $4 per glass at each establishment. A map and menu of the event will be provided at registration.