In a Sunday post on social media, Radio Bean founder and operator Lee Anderson said he would be stepping aside as sole owner of the Burlington nightclub he started 25 years ago.
“The reality is that it’s no longer possible for me to operate the business the way I have in the past with a family and two young kids,” Anderson wrote. “To be clear, WE ARE STILL OPEN and have months of incredible shows booked.”
“I am now officially beginning the process of looking for someone, or some people, who understand this space’s value and potential and are capable of buying and/or cooperatively owning and operating the business, carrying it forward into a vibrant future,” he continued.
He suggested that his “ideal” path ahead would be a cooperative ownership model “and that I would continue to be directly involved as a co-owner/member.” But his continued involvement is “not a prerequisite,” he clarified, “nor is operating under the name Radio Bean.”
He added that the club’s financial struggles are “no secret” and that “for Radio Bean to succeed it needs to diversify from being dependent solely on drink and ticket sales.”
Anderson launched Radio Bean on November 4, 2000. The tiny club on North Winooski Avenue quickly became a hot spot within the local music scene, offering scores of shows on its stage and later adding a sister venue, Light Club Lamp Shop. No venue in the area has booked as eclectic a lineup of talent, mixing musical genres and incorporating comedy, drag, DJs and even live theater.
Anderson was 22 years old when he opened the club. Running it looks a lot different now that he’s the father of two, he said.
“I’m not blaming it on my kids or anything, but life changes when you’re a dad,” Anderson told Seven Days in a phone call. “Working until two or three in the morning and getting home shortly before they wake up — it just wasn’t working. The balance was off.”
After celebrating the club’s 25th anniversary in November, Anderson felt it was the right time to look toward what’s next for the Bean. Since posting his initial message on social media, “I got, like, 5 billion texts the next day,” Anderson said. So he decided to schedule an open-house, Q&A session at the club for Wednesday, January 21, at 5 p.m., when he’ll update the community on his plans and hear suggestions on new ownership.
“The co-op model, the more I think about it, that’s the best model going forward,” Anderson said. “Even though I’ve owned it, the Radio Bean has always felt a little like a co-op; it really belongs to the community. I think, with the right people, it can be even more and go even further.”
Anderson hopes that option, in which a group of community members essentially buys Radio Bean, would unlock the potential of the club, including relaunching its restaurant and morning coffee service, which ceased during the pandemic. That said, he’s not opposed to someone coming in and revamping it all — provided they meet his criteria.
“If someone has resources and real passion, a vision that I could see and believe in, I could see that happening, as well,” Anderson said. “It’s all up in the air right now, and I’m still figuring out the next move.”
Anderson reiterated that Radio Bean is not in danger of closing anytime soon and has a full calendar of booked shows.
“There’s no 45-day break, no ‘closing for the summer’ stuff,” Anderson quipped, referring to the confusing final days at landmark downtown venue Nectar’s, which closed its doors for good in 2025. “I don’t have some kind of hard date to move on, but I’d like to have a definitive plan in place by this summer.”
Whatever comes next, Anderson is fully aware of the importance of Radio Bean to Burlington’s music scene, particularly in light of the Nectar’s closure.
“I feel pressure, in a good way,” Anderson said. “I know I hold the reins to something that is so important to the local and regional music scene. I feel a massive, massive responsibility to make sure that doesn’t go away and that there’s a live music venue in that space. My nightmare is a restaurant with, like, one night of jazz a week — I will do everything I can to make sure that’s not the case.”
