If social media is to be believed, Checkpoint Charlie’s, the iconic dive bar that once hosted crew for the hit 1994 film Interview with the Vampire is shuttering its doors.

In one Facebook message posted around noon Tuesday, March 24, representatives stated: “Welp… We had a good run. However, it’s time for us to move on… Thanks for all the memories ya’ll. Checkpoint Charlies: 1989-2026 RIP. No. This is not a joke.”

Subsequent posts alluded to the longtime Lower Decatur Street bar folding after years of potential buyer negotiations. The closure was immediate, as the post suggests, with no final shows or farewell events for staff and patrons. Former staff and community members have expressed sadness over the loss of the venue in the comments, reflecting on its legacy as a local music and nightlife fixture.

For decades, Check Point Charlie’s served as a gathering place for New Orleans’ punk and alternative music communities, known for its low-cost drinks, unpolished atmosphere and independent spirit. The venue regularly hosted performances by both local and touring acts, contributing to its reputation as a grassroots music hub.

At one point, the venue featured a fully functional laundromat in the rear.

Jon Shaw, an assistant director from New York who worked on the original Interview with the Vampire, told OffBeat that it was a place he could “feel at home in.” “One of my favorites,” he remarked upon hearing the news. “We would wrap, go there and have ‘dinner’ and drinks in the [early[] morning while people would have their breakfast and pre-work aperitif…[We’d] maybe do a load of laundry, too.” Shaw expressed disbelief at their closing and said that the Anne Rice film crew was so beholden to the venue, their wrap gift crew shirt said, “Café Brazil and Jackson Barracks!” on it, a bit of a directive for out of towners who might wonder where the infamous spot was located.

Located on Lower Decatur Street, the bar was a longstanding fixture in a corridor associated with the city’s underground music scene, including punk, metal and electronic genres, and played a role in shaping the area’s cultural identity. Checkpoint’s sat catty corner from the former OffBeat offices located on Frenchmen Street.