Skybar Café — Restaurant in Auburn

A Serious Warning About Skybar Café in Auburn, Alabama To: Parents, Students, and Community Members Skybar Café on Magnolia Avenue in Auburn is widely known among Auburn University students. It’s often considered the weekend party spot—popular, crowded, and energetic. But it’s time to talk seriously about what’s happening there. If you're a student at Auburn, you’ve likely heard concerning stories about Skybar: a co-owner being a registered sex offender, his brother and co-owner allegedly covering for him, reports of people being drugged, sexually assaulted, and more. Maybe you, like me, thought: That would never happen to me. I’m careful. I’m smart. But I’m here to tell you—it can happen to anyone. I moved to Auburn in August 2022 and began visiting Skybar shortly after. Like many others, I became comfortable there. The staff knew me, I never went alone, and I always saw familiar faces. I truly believed I was safe. Then came Friday, July 12. I was out with friends, dancing, drinking, and enjoying the night. After taking a shot with a friend and making a quick trip to the bathroom, I ordered a rum punch at the bar. That’s the last memory I have of the night. I was later found unconscious in a booth. A friend took me to his place, thinking I had one drink too many. But shortly after, I began seizing—repeatedly. He called 911. I was transported to the ER by ambulance and continued seizing every 30 seconds for several hours. My blood was drawn. Test results showed I had been drugged—and not just with a typical “date rape” drug. I had been given cocaine. Let me be clear: I have never used cocaine, and I did not ingest it willingly. The cocaine, combined with alcohol, sent my blood alcohol content soaring above 0.20%. The interaction triggered nonstop seizures. I could have gone into cardiac arrest. I could have had a stroke. I could have died. By the grace of God, I survived and was able to return home with my parents later that day. I reached out to one of the owners. He had previously claimed Skybar was meant to be a “female-safe” environment. He assured me the bar was covered by cameras (excluding the bathrooms), and I believed him. I asked him to review the footage. He told me there was “nothing nefarious” and that I “disappeared” for 18 minutes on camera—despite not leaving the bar. Weeks later, I learned I had been banned from Skybar. I received no explanation. Friends began asking questions. That’s when the truth surfaced: Multiple employees confirmed that on the night I was drugged, an unknown man had his hands up my skirt and inside my shorts while I was unconscious. A bouncer removed him when he falsely claimed to be my “friend.” None of this—not the drugging, not the sexual assault, not the 18-minute disappearance—was captured on camera, despite claims that Skybar has full surveillance. Three major incidents. Zero accountability. And instead of seeking justice or protecting others, the owner banned me—the victim. This is not a warning to create panic—it is a call for awareness, safety, and change. To the Auburn community: If you or someone you know has had a similar experience, please speak up. You are not alone, and your voice matters. I was lucky to survive. Others may not be. It’s time to hold people accountable and protect each other. — A concerned student...

I don't know how this place keeps generating business. I kept trying to give it chance after chance, but I've gone three times now and each time was awful so I think this place is beyond help, setting aside sleazy management and the danger women face when they come here. From the moment I walked in, staff was rude and unhelpful. I was very new to going to bars at the time, mind you, so I didn't know there was an entrance fee and you had to get a stamp or wristband or whatever, but instead of pointing me to the right direction or helping me out, some bodyguard just roughly grabbed me by the shoulder and threw me out, no explanation. So I had to go back in the already long line, where I tried again. ONLY THEN did they say I had to pay to get in. Would've been nice to know beforehand. That and that they only accept cash up front. So I had to go get cash and stand in line FOR THE THIRD TIME just so I could finally get in! If only the wait was worth it. The drinks suck and are way overpriced, guess I shouldn't be surprised for a bar like this place, and it's so crowded you can barely move and so loud you can barely hear yourself think. I've since gone to much better bars and I can confidently say this is the worst bar I've ever been to my whole life. Nothing redeemable. I can name ten other local bars that are cheaper or much more...

DON’T GO UNLESS YOU WANT YOUR PHONE STOLEN!! Typically, I wouldn’t hold an establishment at fault for the doings of others but its seems this is an ongoing issue that Skybar is aware of but isn’t doing anything about it.

My phone was stolen from my purse on Saturday night. I wasn’t intoxicated and my purse wasn’t unattended at any moment, it was around my torso when someone pulled my purse. The next day I learned that it happens SEVERAL times a weekend at Skybar. In fact, I was at AT&T getting a replacement phone the next day when someone else came in because they also had their phone stolen at Skybar the night before.

I’ve been in contact with the Auburn Police Department and they confirmed this is an ongoing issue that Skybar is aware of. From what I’ve gathered, it seems Skybar isn’t doing anything about it because they’re more concerned about their bottom line than making sure their patrons are safe. I think they’re relying on the fact that the crowd is mostly young and probably too intoxicated to remember the details of what happened. The most frustrating thing about my incident is that so many others have also been taken advantage of. Skybar should be ashamed for not stepping up and doing their part.

I’m not concerned about going back since I’m not from Alabama, but for everyone else, if you go here please be very...