Witnessing a good bar going downhill

[Shane-O-Matic]

I guess we've all seen it at some point.

Skipped away from work to a nearby Irish bar for a pint earlier today, for what must've been the first time since the turn of the year. Used to do it all the time, but the money's just not been there recently.

Anyway, I returned today, only to find that the boss hasn't been back since Christmas (no one seemed forthcoming with an explanation) and all the old drunks had been replaced by young, disinterested people, who all seemed to drink through a straw. Although the bar was still the same on the outside, it didn't seem the same place i'd tumbled out of so many times.

On the plus side, a good pint of Guinness is still to be had in the place, and football is still shown, but it now seems too much like any other bar in the area.

[Negromancer]

In my hometown there's a place that used to be great, played good rock 'n roll music, had some great shows etc. Then they built a wall through the middle of it and made it a club for all the underaged girls and desperate retards. Now the once thriving pub gets more metrosexual by the minute...

[fizzmaster]

I've seen alot of great bars turn merely okay and alot of okay bars turn shitty. It seems like an inevitable cycle, like gentrification. My favorite bar in America, the Asti in Santa Cruz, just let my favorite bartender, Danny, go. This will inevitably take the place down a few notches. Danny was amazing. Maybe the recession will set things right and we'll see a resurgence in good, gritty bars.

[old crow]

better than my favorite bar BURNING down

[coqui_chris]

I've seen alot of great bars turn merely okay and alot of okay bars turn shitty. It seems like an inevitable cycle, like gentrification. My favorite bar in America, the Asti in Santa Cruz, just let my favorite bartender, Danny, go. This will inevitably take the place down a few notches. Danny was amazing. Maybe the recession will set things right and we'll see a resurgence in good, gritty bars.

Here's hoping. I'm sick of bars getting whitewashed and gentrified.

[Wingman]

I've seen alot of great bars turn merely okay and alot of okay bars turn shitty. It seems like an inevitable cycle, like gentrification. My favorite bar in America, the Asti in Santa Cruz, just let my favorite bartender, Danny, go. This will inevitably take the place down a few notches. Danny was amazing. Maybe the recession will set things right and we'll see a resurgence in good, gritty bars.

you read my mind. i live in a town that used to have tons of great dive bars, but has had a lot of tourist money come in in the last 10 years or so. so you know, we've got a hotel where there used to be a place you'd get a buzz and an s.t.d. just from walking into, a the best british pub is now a tourist trap, the place you'd go deaf while hoping the bartender picked you for her after-work mint is some sort of french market. i was wondering if the economic downturn would see it swing back towards the old days.

[Resident Asshole]

The bar where I work let go the best manager I've known. He had lots of beer, liquor, wine and food knowledge.

In his place that made the fucking chef the manager of the whole place. He doesn't know jack about booze. He is selling off all of our good booze at crazy prices because he doesn't know what it is.

Great in the short term for the customers, horrible for the bar in the long run.

[Wingman]

R.A., that is a major bummer. bad enough to see somewhere you enjoy drinking at go downhill; worse to work there. are you tight enough with the owners you could say something? got another job lined up?

seen it happen twice at the two best bars i've ever worked at. first time, new owners came in and treated it like their private clubhouse. second time, the owners switched from benign neglect to bumbling interest.

[Resident Asshole]

The owners don't give a fuck as long as they have Bud Light bottles and shitty tequila. I already went in on my own time and me and my buddy made up a beer list of things we should keep ordering (about 70 micro bottles) and I also tried to make a wine list. They just fucking ignore what I do. No one else gives a shit about proper service, carrying a good selection or having knowledge of the products.

And yeah, that job is just my weekend job anyway (which is why they don't listen to me, because they figure since I'm a part-timer that I don't know the biz or the customer base, even though I have the most seniority of anyone there), but once baseball season starts I'll be bartending the clubhouse at our local minor league baseball stadium.

And yeah, it's absolutely amazing to me, you said bumbling interest and I totally agree, these fucks complain to high heaven about their dwindling profit margins, but when I try to tell them why business is going south they don't seem to care.

[Negromancer]

There used to be another kick ass rock pub in my hometown. It was packed full every day of the weekend and had a steady stream of customers on weekdays. In that town there is this one company that owns and runs almost every single club or bar in the town, and one day they found out they didn't like the concept. They changed the name, kicked out all the former staff and reopened as some shitty RnB club with some LP-scratching retard in the corner. It was ridicilous, I've never seen somebody kill a business so fast in my entire life.

[Glasgae Sam]

My local is run by an old guy and his two sons (twins). I'm good friends with one of the brothers, and one of the proudest moments of my drinking life was when he introduced me to someone as "a regular at the bar". It's a great place - just the right size, decent selection of drinks, staff who actually care about their job (they should, they own the place!) and great music at the weekends. It's not big on food, but they'll happily knock you up some nachos if you ask nicely. It was my favourite bar long before I moved into the city, and the fact that it's about 3 blocks from my current apartment played no small part in choosing said apartment.

About a month ago I was in for a usual post-work pint, and my friend behind the bar poured me a freebie (he insists on doing this from time to time due to the $100 tip I dropped him at Christmas - just slipped it under an empty glass on my way out, but out of principle he keeps trying to 'make it up to me'). Then he said something horrible. "Dude, I'm thinking about selling up. In a year maybe". I can't imagine my routine without this place... and it wouldn't be the same without that family running it. Even the grumpy-as-hell father is necessary to the character. I'd probably stop going. The heart breaking thing is they're starting to make changes to make the bar more 'sale-friendly'. Swapped most of the beers for more generic brands, stopped doing the brilliant promos, show a lot more of the football (this is actually a bad thing, bars which you can escape the football in are very, very rare in Glasgow) etc. I'm watching it slowly lose all of it's charm and appeal, and become just another bar. The other regulars see it happening too, but there's nothing we can do. The money is gone, and the family want out of the business (this is their 3rd bar I believe). If I had the money I'd buy the place myself, and change nothing.

I keep playing those lottery numbers, just in case..

[Jelmo]

It really sucks when places where you feel at home close down/go downhill/change to sucky owners.
My local bar will be closing in September for about 2 years due to construction work the city has planned there. When me and my mates heard it from the owner we were like 'then where do we go?' And she replied with a 'if I'd have a penny for every time somebody asked me'.

[Shane-O-Matic]

The heart breaking thing is they're starting to make changes to make the bar more 'sale-friendly'. Swapped most of the beers for more generic brands, stopped doing the brilliant promos, show a lot more of the football (this is actually a bad thing, bars which you can escape the football in are very, very rare in Glasgow)

As a Glaswegian myself, I know exactly what you mean.

Love the football myself, but it's getting harder and harder to find a bar where you can go in and enjoy a quiet pint.

[Resident Asshole]

Hey guys from Scotland my girl and I are flying in to Edinburgh either April 5th or 6th. Wanna meet up somewhere? I think that my girl and I are only there for about 24 hours. Obviously we want to hit up a couple pubs, but also see some sights, possibly a distillery tour if there is something closeby.

Also, we are trying to do the couchsurfing thing, during our stay in Europe. I dunno if you have any interest in hosting a couple of Americans for a night, but either way if you want to meet up please let me know. I will PM this to you two as well.