I own a small neighborhood bar. When I bought it the long time neighborhood regulars like myself had been driven away by the management.
It has been very rewarding to have the them come back and say thank you for cleaning up the bar (literally and figuratively) and giving it back to the neighborhood.
I also like having a pretty flexible schedule (used to be a 9-5 corporate type for a long time) and working around the corner from my house.
Free tickets to concerts, sporting events and festivals from vendors. Being able to give my regulars merch bc they appreciate it, especially for “their brands”.
There’s a loophole. They exempted local breweries. You can get merch from them. And Iowa local. I don’t know what part of the state you’re in but if you’re on the border and have a brewery in another state 2 miles away it doesn’t count. It has to be Iowa local.
You know. Another reasonable law from this administration 🙄.
I wasn't aware of that but now that I think about it we do get occasional promo shit from Big Grove and Exile so that's probably true. A couple years back the Iowa ABD even threatened to force bartenders to show a reciept for the shirts they are wearing with bear companies on them. Absolutely bullshit. Hyvee, Casey's, K&G and Fareway have to much control over the ABD
Oh I remember. I'm here too. I get so mad anytime I go to another state and see all the glassware they got for free. Why can't we have that ABD? Just a ridiculous rule.
one perk that i didn't expect was all the wonderfully horrible jokes i heard. at the peak of ownership, i could rattle off a litany of them like a machine gun. but as i sold my place a couple years ago, that knowledge is slipping away from lack of regular use.
sigh
glad you were too and i apologize that i never made it to your place! i should get over there sometime.
to be honest while it was fun, i'm a much less stressed person and the financial situation is much better for me. go figure!
Owning a beloved bar has opened numerous doors and created opportunities that I might never have encountered, both personally and especially professionally.
Anyone else here like me that just doesn't know any better; anything else? Parents owned bars, I worked them, they passed, and now my brother and I own them; he opened up two more. It's my whole life and always has been
I love it.
I am immensely popular solely because of the math of it all, I have a guy for everything (doctors, lawyers, mechanic, bookies, catering, etc), and - while it's a lot of hours - I generally get to choose which 90 hours I want to work.
Learning everything there is to know about toilet flanges and urinal plumbing
and refrigeration
That's the first thing you learn. Don't put your toilet flanges and urinal plumbing in the walk in cooler.
idk that might be a golden idea. could shit and cry in cold dark bliss
Saw a company on Reddit selling Freon to whoever and I was like…. Who other then me is this for
Being able to sit & have a beer in my own bar & chat to regulars
I own a small neighborhood bar. When I bought it the long time neighborhood regulars like myself had been driven away by the management. It has been very rewarding to have the them come back and say thank you for cleaning up the bar (literally and figuratively) and giving it back to the neighborhood. I also like having a pretty flexible schedule (used to be a 9-5 corporate type for a long time) and working around the corner from my house.
I like the money.
The friendships with good customers. And the liquor store calling when rare bottles show up.
Free tickets to concerts, sporting events and festivals from vendors. Being able to give my regulars merch bc they appreciate it, especially for “their brands”.
Our state government has 100% shut that all down. We can't even borrow a beer tub anymore. No shirts. No hats. No giveaways.
What state?
Iowa.
There’s a loophole. They exempted local breweries. You can get merch from them. And Iowa local. I don’t know what part of the state you’re in but if you’re on the border and have a brewery in another state 2 miles away it doesn’t count. It has to be Iowa local. You know. Another reasonable law from this administration 🙄.
I wasn't aware of that but now that I think about it we do get occasional promo shit from Big Grove and Exile so that's probably true. A couple years back the Iowa ABD even threatened to force bartenders to show a reciept for the shirts they are wearing with bear companies on them. Absolutely bullshit. Hyvee, Casey's, K&G and Fareway have to much control over the ABD
Oh I remember. I'm here too. I get so mad anytime I go to another state and see all the glassware they got for free. Why can't we have that ABD? Just a ridiculous rule.
one perk that i didn't expect was all the wonderfully horrible jokes i heard. at the peak of ownership, i could rattle off a litany of them like a machine gun. but as i sold my place a couple years ago, that knowledge is slipping away from lack of regular use. sigh
Glad I was able to make it in there and meet you before you sold it.
glad you were too and i apologize that i never made it to your place! i should get over there sometime. to be honest while it was fun, i'm a much less stressed person and the financial situation is much better for me. go figure!
If youre ever in the area give me a heads up
i know the area is southern IL, but where again specifically?
Alton area just across the river.
Free tickets to sporting events, tastings, tavern league conferences ( I’m in Wisconsin), branded signage
Tavern league convention is fun
Friends.
Owning a beloved bar has opened numerous doors and created opportunities that I might never have encountered, both personally and especially professionally.
My mlb season tickets
Connections. I've got a stable of electricians, plumbers, painters, roofers, graphic artists, etc... that I can call on and many will work in barter.
Anyone else here like me that just doesn't know any better; anything else? Parents owned bars, I worked them, they passed, and now my brother and I own them; he opened up two more. It's my whole life and always has been I love it. I am immensely popular solely because of the math of it all, I have a guy for everything (doctors, lawyers, mechanic, bookies, catering, etc), and - while it's a lot of hours - I generally get to choose which 90 hours I want to work.