2 bars down, more to come
Another downtown bar, 808, closes | press-citizen.com | Iowa City Press Citizen
One Eyed Jakes, a staple for underage drinkers in Iowa City for years, is no more. Say goodbye to 808 as well.
Both of these places will not be missed.
Re: 2 bars down, more to come
Yes, One-eyed Jakes, a bastion of responsible drinking, home of the 20 pitchers for $20 on your birthday deal. RIP.
Re: 2 bars down, more to come
Apparently their business model catered to underage drinkers because these same bars claimed they don't server to underage drinkers yet coincidentally once that market went away they couldn't hack it. I highly doubt the loss of food and non-acoholic beverages was the difference in sales. Just like any failing business you have to "re-invent" yourself to stay in business. Remember how bars statewide complained the smoking ban would shut a bunch of them down? Just how many bars do you know of that closed down for that reason? Once they adjust to the changes and market their product acordingly a good owner can still stay in business. The smoking ban I think may have probably helped some bars that people avoided because they were too smokey and now people don't mind going to them and probably got some people out to them that normally wouldn't go because they didn't like being around smoke.
Re: 2 bars down, more to come
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CYdTracked 
Apparently their business model catered to underage drinkers because these same bars claimed they don't server to underage drinkers yet coincidentally once that market went away they couldn't hack it. I highly doubt the loss of food and non-acoholic beverages was the difference in sales. Just like any failing business you have to "re-invent" yourself to stay in business. Remember how bars statewide complained the smoking ban would shut a bunch of them down? Just how many bars do you know of that closed down for that reason? Once they adjust to the changes and market their product acordingly a good owner can still stay in business. The smoking ban I think may have probably helped some bars that people avoided because they were too smokey and now people don't mind going to them and probably got some people out to them that normally wouldn't go because they didn't like being around smoke.
This.
Re: 2 bars down, more to come
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CYdTracked Apparently their business model catered to underage drinkers because these same bars claimed they don't server to underage drinkers yet coincidentally once that market went away they couldn't hack it. I highly doubt the loss of food and non-acoholic beverages was the difference in sales. Just like any failing business you have to "re-invent" yourself to stay in business. Remember how bars statewide complained the smoking ban would shut a bunch of them down? Just how many bars do you know of that closed down for that reason? Once they adjust to the changes and market their product acordingly a good owner can still stay in business. The smoking ban I think may have probably helped some bars that people avoided because they were too smokey and now people don't mind going to them and probably got some people out to them that normally wouldn't go because they didn't like being around smoke.
And in the process crushed the competitive advantage that smoke free bars had by catering to those exact people.
Re: 2 bars down, more to come
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CYdTracked Apparently their business model catered to underage drinkers because these same bars claimed they don't server to underage drinkers yet coincidentally once that market went away they couldn't hack it. I highly doubt the loss of food and non-acoholic beverages was the difference in sales. Just like any failing business you have to "re-invent" yourself to stay in business. Remember how bars statewide complained the smoking ban would shut a bunch of them down? Just how many bars do you know of that closed down for that reason? Once they adjust to the changes and market their product acordingly a good owner can still stay in business. The smoking ban I think may have probably helped some bars that people avoided because they were too smokey and now people don't mind going to them and probably got some people out to them that normally wouldn't go because they didn't like being around smoke.
Yep. Instead of working with the city and University, the bar owners who led the charge against the ordinance spent 10 years finding loopholes instead of actually trying to fix the problem. I didn't see ONE owner send back their liquor license and develop an alcohol-free dance club where the children could go and "socialize".
90% of bar patrons go to these places to drink, not stay sober.
Re: 2 bars down, more to come
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CYdTracked Apparently their business model catered to underage drinkers because these same bars claimed they don't server to underage drinkers yet coincidentally once that market went away they couldn't hack it. I highly doubt the loss of food and non-acoholic beverages was the difference in sales. Just like any failing business you have to "re-invent" yourself to stay in business. Remember how bars statewide complained the smoking ban would shut a bunch of them down? Just how many bars do you know of that closed down for that reason? Once they adjust to the changes and market their product acordingly a good owner can still stay in business. The smoking ban I think may have probably helped some bars that people avoided because they were too smokey and now people don't mind going to them and probably got some people out to them that normally wouldn't go because they didn't like being around smoke.
Exactly. The opposition to making bars in IC 21-only was such a transparent sham. I give them credit for voting to uphold it. It's the one serious thing I've seen that community do to curtail its booze-soaked reputation.
And with DJK off the streets they're making a major dent in the drug problem too. :smile:
Re: 2 bars down, more to come
Best line of whole thing comes from the comments:
Quote:
I don't understand why we are mourning businesses with a model that can't survive under the conditions that exist in 99% of the country.
Re: 2 bars down, more to come
Please don't look at this the same way as the smoking ban. This is a lot different situation.
Re: 2 bars down, more to come
Vitos is closed as of Monday. Summit, also owned by Mike Porter, is rumored to be closing during break.
I can't imagine how Third Base (Fieldhouse) or Sports Column will survive this ordeal as they also were mainly underage bars.
Re: 2 bars down, more to come
One eye'd jakes closed because Anthony Tucker Transfered.
Re: 2 bars down, more to come
BOB IS CLOSING? NOOOOOO!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cycloneman42 Vitos is closed as of Monday. Summit, also owned by Mike Porter, is rumored to be closing during break.
I can't imagine how Third Base (Fieldhouse) or Sports Column will survive this ordeal as they also were mainly underage bars.
Vitos is closing? I may be mistaken, but I remember that place catering a bit more to the older folks in town. Just was a trendy(er) place. But then again, maybe they made all their actual money off of underage drinking.
Re: 2 bars down, more to come
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CYphyllis And in the process crushed the competitive advantage that smoke free bars had by catering to those exact people.
Not necessarily, The Game Sports Bar in Urbandale has survived and they originally marketed as one of the few smoke-free bars prior to the ban.
Re: 2 bars down, more to come
I'm okay with this, the only bars I ever go to in IC are Donnely's, Piano Lounge, and Dublin Underground. The only one of those impacted at all by this is Piano Lounge. And really they're actually one of the few bars I feel sorry for about this, since it actually is a place where someone under 21 could legitimately go for reasons other than getting trashed. It's a great place to take a date.
I wish Ames had a Piano Lounge.
I'm glad to see these other bars go though. Their entire business model was to have upperclassman guys buy lots of drinks for freshman girls. So... so long to excessive date rape in Iowa City then.
Re: 2 bars down, more to come
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cycloneman42 Vitos is closed as of Monday. Summit, also owned by Mike Porter, is rumored to be closing during break.
I can't imagine how Third Base (Fieldhouse) or Sports Column will survive this ordeal as they also were mainly underage bars.
Fieldhouse and SpoCo plan to stay open. Porter's bars will not make it. I doubt Summit stays closed for long when it goes, that layout is just too nice.
