Local Bar The Red Carpet Welcomes A New Generation Of Owners

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- The Red Carpet has been a mainstay in downtown St. Cloud for decades. Brothers Gary and Rick Gaetz have owned and operated the multi-bar complex for over 45 years, and now Gary's children are preparing to take over the reins.

The new ownership group, comprising Heidi Gaetz, Holly and Bobby Kelly, and Hayley and Jaime Foster, has been transitioning into the new ownership group.

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Hayley moved back to St. Cloud after living in Indiana for the last 17 years.

I always knew I wanted to come back and give this a shot, and I would always regret it if I didn't.  I really enjoyed working here in college, and loved the live music, loved the energy.

Her husband, Jaime, says he was on board right away to take over the business.

I came here when I met her and loved the place.  So, when she talked about taking over, I thought it was a great idea.  I had the opportunity to retire from my career and thought it might be an interesting way to do the second half of my life.

The Fosters have been back in town since last July. They say they are still defining the roles for all five owners, but Heidi Gaetz will continue her job as events director, Hayley Foster and Bobby Kelly will handle the live acts for the Main Stage and the Keller Bar, Jaime Foster is running the kitchen and the operations, and Holly Kelly will be in daily management.

The Red Carpet has seven bars: The Main Stage, Martini Lounge, Keller Bar, the Pool Room, Club Red, and the Event Center.

The Red Carpet is on The Value Connection.

Jaime Foster says he's been giving a lot of tours to St. Cloud State University Alumni and others who haven't been to the Red Carpet in a while.

The first thing I say is, "Let's go take a look around".  They are always amazed at the changes that have happened and the things that have stayed the same.  They are always telling stories of what they've done here.  So, the people who have come back have enjoyed themselves, and they want this place to succeed.

The new owners say they are interested in bringing in a wider variety of music genres, as well as other entertainment like comedy nights and game nights.

They are also getting more involved with downtown events like Bold & Bright.

Besides Facebook, they've added TikTok and Snapchat to their social media accounts.

This Friday, the Red Carpet has comedy on the Main Stage starting at 8:30 p.m. This Saturday, the band Bad Code is on the Main Stage at 8:00 p.m., the band Small Town Sindrome is in the Keller Bar at 9:30 p.m., and a DJ is in the Game Room at 10:00 p.m.