New Year's Eve at 98 Bottles

Join us this Saturday for our first annual New Year's Eve Bash!

Enjoy live music the from the Latin fusion sounds of Los Gatos Blancos and the classic jazz Rat Pack-inspired Jack Stiteler Jazztet, a midnight countdown and live feed of worldwide celebrations, and a specialty menu and champagne toast!

Tickets are $20 with advance reservation, $25 at the door. Book online at www.98bottlessd.com or by calling (619) 255-7885.

Take one down, toast it around!

THE HAPPIEST OF HOLIDAYS

We’ve been so engrossed with starting this business that time has flown by at warp speed! So it is with total disbelief that we realize that today is Christmas Eve. Our hectic day-to-day schedule of running this business has left little time for blogging much less for laundry, house cleaning, cooking or pretty much anything other than 98 Bottles.  We live, eat and breathe it. But after almost five years of planning and dreaming, we’re grateful for the inevitable exhaustion.  Now it’s time to take a moment to reflect on the miracle that is 98 Bottles.  Somehow we have managed to materialize something that for many years was just a vision, a dream.  The result has been, not only rewarding but truly miraculous.  We still have a long way to go, but the obstacles we’ve overcome, the lessons we’ve learned, the challenges we’ve faced, the tears we’ve shed and the laughter we’ve shared will be cherished gifts for a lifetime.  The most precious of those gifts are the people we’ve met, the new friendships we’ve forged, the neighbors who’ve welcomed us with open arms and the customers who have ventured off the beaten path to find their way to our door.  To all of you, we wish a very happy holiday and a prosperous and joyous new year!

Blank Walls NO MORE!

98 Bottles is now literally teaming with art!  Native San Diego oil painter David Tyrone Villa is the first to exhibit in our Lower Lounge.  Villa paints local San Diego scenes with vivid color and an intense expression of dimension and emotion.  His work will be up through the middle of December.  Many thanks to our wonderful curator Nicole Waszak who is truly a life saver!  She facilitated the installation and is handling all the details.  She will bring us wonderful new artists every other month.  

Also today, in the Back Room, photographer Drew Wyeth installed a collection of his work in preparation for his Creators of Habit exhibit scheduled for tomorrow night.

Going Where Our Business Takes Us

We've just finished our 4th week of being open.  We've slipped up, gotten down, hit some things right on, worked our butts off, kept our frustrations in, laughed out loud and learned A LOT.   Lots of seeds have been planted, business is growing and so today we made a decision to go where our business takes us.  We've learned that 98 Bottles is a great gathering place.  People come to have business meetings, celebrate their birthdays, "meet-up" for happy hour, enjoy date night, hang with friends or just curl up on the couches and talk.  It's exactly what we had hoped for :) All kinds of folks have come for events from tap classes to food pairings, scary movies and live music. Every day people are asking about hosting events at 98 Bottles, either in the front lounge or in the private BACK ROOM.  So it's time for us to focus on that.  To give us time to do so, starting this week, we will open at 4pm.  This means we won't be serving lunch, but no worries...eat a late breakfast and join us for happy hour.

We read once about an architect who built a large condo complex.  When the landscaper asked where he wanted to put the sidewalks he said "plant grass everywhere." So they planted grass everywhere and after a while, when it was clear where people WANTED to walk, that's where they built the sidewalks.  It's time for us to begin building our sidewalks.  Thanks to all of you for your feedback, love and support.

Blank Walls

Some would say staring at a blank wall is a sign of boredom, we see staring at our blank walls at 98 Bottles as an amazing opportunity to exhibit an endless array of fabulous work done by San Diego artists.  We've put out a clarion call to all the artists in our neighborhood, and to all artists everywhere in San Diego, to paint, sculpt, photograph, compose, construct, paste, glue, sew, staple, nail (or any other creative verb you can think of) to create pieces of art that depict "bottles" in any medium...oils, water colors, metal, pen & ink, pencil, collage, fabric, stone, clay or any other material from which you can produce fabulous art.  We will exhibit these pieces with great love and care and with proper credit to the artists who create them (and we will put them for sale if the invidual artist so desires).  So, if you are a local artist or you know someone who is, please help us spread the word. Help us get some art up in this place!

Spinning Round in Circles

Our heads have been spinning with all that's going on.  There is a RIDICULOUS amount of things that need to get done and the hours fly by every day without us seeming to make a dent.  No matter how much we plan, things happen every hour of every day that zap away the hours.  We meet with vendors and PR people, CPA's and customers, run to the bank,  tweet and facebook, order stuff, plan stuff and try to figure out stuff.  Tonight the beer cooler went on the fritz (for the second time) thank god it's new and under warranty.  But the deli cooler also went out and it is NOT new and NOT under warrantee.  But despite it all, we do seem to be making some progress.  Our sign goes up tomorrow and we have a full calendar of events for October, check it out:
http://www.98bottlessd.com/backroom/calendar.php

If you've been following us and wondering what all this craziness is about, stop by and check it out for yourself.  Through it all, the best part has been the people we've met and the friends we've made, we sure hope you're the next.

Week 1 & 2

As of today we’ve  been open for two weeks and it’s been exciting, exhilarating, inspiring, scary, fun and frustrating.  How’s that for a psychotic emotional rollercoaster ride?  We started the first four days with just being open for happy hour until close, then added lunch last Tuesday.  In our first week we had an awesome jazz quintet perform in THE BACK ROOM, our first Kettner Nights and a total blackout.  Not bad for a first week.  We’ve been delighted to serve all of those who have been so supportive and to meet new neighbors.  There is still tons to do, but at least we are FINALLY OPEN FOR BUSINESS!  We’re planning to open the retail store in the next couple of weeks and we have a full October event calendar planned:

Tap on Tap – 7pm Tuesday night $10 for a glass and a class-yes beginning tap dancing taught by Broadway dancer Steve Anthony and draught beer

Humpday Horror – 7PM Wednesday night classic B & W scary movies

Tasty Thursdays – Thursdays 7pm (Oct 6, 13, 20, 27)
Each week a different brewery or vineyard expert will lead an entertaining presentation and educational evening featuring a different beer, wine or sake. 

Friday/Saturday – live music TBA

Thanks for following us on our path to opening...come see us soon

Blackout Makes The Lights Go On

Mired in all of the details of opening, it’s been easy to lose sight of the big picture. It was the blackout last Thursday that illuminated things for us. We were reminded that our goal of creating a place where folks can gather, relax, eat, drink, socialize and have fun all without TV’s or computers is an important and valuable one.  The moment the lights went out, neighbors poured into the street comparing notes, trying to figure out what was happening.  Soon our friends from Hyde Edwards Salon came over, they had cash and we had cold beer and wine so we all settled in for the evening.  Other neighbors joined us and soon everyone was talking, laughing playing charades, and passing the time.  When it got dark we lit some candles and kept the party going.  Someone ran home and got a bar-b-que and Chef Jeff cooked up some tuna and chicken for everyone. Over the past few days, we've heard numerous stories of neighbors meeting for the first time and groups of strangers gathering together. Funny how people truly connect when they disconnect. Welcome to the moment. Everything else is just excess.

SLOW·PEN·ING

slow·pen·ing n

1. an organic opening at a measured pace

2. taking your time to figure out what you’re doing so you don’t screw up

3. not making a big hoopla and inviting everyone and their brother to come so they can catch you in every mistake you’re sure to make.

On Wednesday September 7 we are going to begin our slow-pening.  It has taken us a long time to realize our dream, the entire process has been pretty organic and we have allowed things to unfold at their own pace.  We have been patient  (most of the time) and we are not about to change that now.

So, we’re going to start by opening for happy hour at 4pm and go until closing for about a week and a half.  Once we have mastered that, we will slowly phase in lunch, the retail store and our entertainment calendar. 

Like life, it will be a process and we will do our best to be vested in the process (the journey) and not the goal (a “grand opening”) After all, we’re in this for the long haul.

A Pound of Flesh

Forget about blood, sweat and tears, Chris is giving a pound of flesh to the effort.  
On left - head injury from the toilet handle...yes the toilet handle - go figure
On the right - while grinding the metal trim on the vanity, he decided to also grind his finger.
The good news is he heals quickly.

Our Business Promise

Before we had a business plan we had a business promise. 98 Bottles is the culmination of several years of planning, misfires, raised hopes, dashed dreams and a healthy helping of blood, sweat and tears. But through it all we always promised ourselves that we would listen to each other’s ideas, revel in each other’s company, support each other’s dreams live in every moment and, most importantly, have fun. We promised that this simple doctrine would guide our decision making from the vendors we pick and the employees we hire, to the deals we negotiate and the people with whom we choose to do business. We tell you about this promise not necessarily because it’s crucial for you to know, but because it is necessary for us to remind ourselves.

Our business promise is laudable but it is not always easy to fulfill in practical application.  On the path to opening we have endured our share of scares, traumas, close calls and frustrations.  In other blog posts we’ve shared with you a few of the crazy hurdles we’ve had to overcome and, while we have described them with humor, many have been challenges that were downright scary; especially this past month. After a five-week standstill due to city permitting, a malaise began to creep into our consciousness. Every decision (and there are millions of them you have to make when opening a new business) seemed labored, we were getting short with each other, frustrated with the process and panicked about everything that had to get done. We were so focused on getting to opening that we forgot to be in the moment. We were letting ourselves get sucked into the panic vortex, letting fear guide the way instead of joy.

No matter what anyone says, business IS personal and it should be because your business, and the way you conduct it, is a direct reflection of who you are as a person.  Our goal is to make 98 Bottles a family  not only for us (the people who work here) but also for you (the people who play here).

We realized last week that we were forgetting about our business promise. Grateful for the epiphany, we knew we needed to share it with you so that WE would not forget and so that you would hold us to it.

Conditional Love

There is one thing for sure, so far we couldn’t have asked for a warmer welcome to the neighborhood! Local residents, neighboring businesses and yes, even the THE MAN, have all given us a big thumbs up. SDPD (San Diego Police Department) to CCDC (City Centre Development Corporation) to ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control) and every other alphabetic arm of government in between have all shown us the love for what we are trying to do. BUT that love is NOT unconditional, after all this is government, not a puppy. One permit alone bears the weight of 30 separate conditions. Here are just some of the wacky things we have agreed to just to keep the LOVE coming:

-       No Public Dancing  - That’s right folks, feel free to tap your feet and shimmy in your chair, but if you want to stand up and boogie you’ll have to follow Kevin Bacon to the grain factory outside the city limits of Beaumont.
-       Amplified Music to be Played in the Back Half of the Space – Despite solid concrete walls, train tracks directly behind us and planes that narrowly clear our building every 10 minutes or so, we’ve been asked to keep the noise down by keeping amplified music confined to the back half of our space. And, we have to keep the front doors closed!
-       Must Remind Patrons to be Quiet When Leaving – This one we support whole-heartedly. After all, the residents that live close by were living here way before 98 Bottles. So we will be reminding you regularly to please be quiet as you walk to your cars after a fun evening.  You can consider this our first official, “SSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH”.
-       Retail Beer Purchases Must Be Sold in Quantities of 6 or More –THE CHALLENGE: few quality craft beers come in 6-packs. THE SOLUTION: we are offering mix-and-match 6 (or more) packs. This way you can try 6 new craft beers or buy 5 of your favorites and one new one to try. AND DON’T WORRY…the quantities of 6 or more applies only to our retail store. You are more than welcome to enjoy just one brewsky inside the lounge or at the bar. Though, we certainly won’t complain if you buy six.
-       Must Have an Independent Emergency Phone Line for the ADA Lift- We completely get this if the ADA lift were outside, in a hallway, or enclosed. Our lift is a 4-foot, open riser INSIDE our space! But this condition ensures that if the lift does get stuck, the stuckee will now have not one, but two options to get help:

1.  Simply say “Um, excuse me 98 Bottles staffer (who is 10 ft away), the lift is jammed”

2.  Hit the emergency call button that will then dial an outside emergency service to come and assist (and hopefully hang around for a cold one afterward) 

NOTE: If the lift is not stuck, DO NOT test the call button. If the lift is stuck, please choose option 1.
-       No Outside Promoters or DJ’s – Let’s get one thing straight. We want everyone to promote 98 Bottles outside. This condition just means we can’t pay someone else to make us cool. As far as the DJ thing is concerned, oh well. I guess you’ll just have to listen to us on the 1’s and 2’s. DJ Double Click From My Preset ITunes Playlist is back bitches… whickey whickey! Word to your mother. 

It’s only $50 more

If we had $50 for every time we said “it’s only $50 more…”  Lately the three of us have been doing tons of shopping and have found ourselves frequently caught in the “it’s only $50 more” vortex.  It’s a mindset we all understand and have all succumbed to from time to time. It goes something like this:  your budget is tight,  you’re watching your pennies and your making every effort to be a careful shopper.  But then you see some fabulous thing that is just slightly over your budget and you begin the “it’s only $50 more” justification jig.  For us it all started when we were tile shopping.  We easily found boring tile that was within budget but then, from across the room, as if beckoning us in, we saw it...THE PERFECT tile.  Chris did some calculations and presented us with  the “well it’s only $50 more” argument. We all quickly agreed.  After all, it was well worth the larger expenditure and besides, we vowed to be more careful with future purchases. Tuesday we took delivery of our chairs, bar stools and table bases…they’re really cool and well within our budget.  On Monday we ordered our sofas and love seats, also within budget :)  So what if we couldn’t resist also buying the super cute custom-color ottomans…after all they were only $50 more!

Kettner Nights

Many thanks to all of you who stopped by to wish us well (and watch us paint) tonight during Kettner Nights.  We can't tell you how much it means to us to be so warmly welcomed to the neighborhood.  If we ever had any doubts, we know now that we picked the perfect location for 98 Bottles.  Little Italy North rocks!

The Over Budget Diet

The GC’s budget just arrived, and the numbers do not lie,

Have to save every dime cause the budget’s WAY TOO HIGH!

Last week we dined on caviar, tonight potato stew,

Tasty treats and delicacies, we bid you all adieu.

No more salmon, chocolate moose or even a slice of cheese

Just bread and water, veggies and rice, pass the soy sauce please.

Now it’s goodbye to all protein except maybe tofu,

Sorry Arrogant Bastard Ale, PBR is replacing you. 

To quench our thirst we’ll reach for tap water from here on in,

Letting Steve drink Pellegrino would really be a sin.

So be on notice Château Rothschild you're simply out of luck,

Cause we’ve gone and done it and made the switch to two-buck chuck.

But despite it all we’re having fun and really we don’t mind,

We’ll rough it out, not take the chance our credit be declined.

And remember folks for every cloud there is a silver lining,

We know that something good will come from all this meager dining.

We’ll lose some weight and feel great too, create a brand new diet,

That’s sure to work with great results for everyone who tries it.

So delicious treats and upscale meals we’re willing to forgo,

Cause once we open we’ll make tons of cash and call it Quid pro quo.

Why 98 Bottles?

Now that we’re off and running we figured it’s time to explain why we chose the name 98 Bottles (also because some folks out there are calling it 99 Bottles which is one bottle too many). 

Everyone knows the song “99 Bottles of Beer on The Wall” (and no - it’s not 100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall - look it up) and when you hear it you’re instantly taken back to a school road trip, campfire, sleep over (or hangover)…either way it’s always associated with fun times and good friends.

We started planning this business (in it’s current incarnation) in 2008/09 right in the middle of the global economic collapse as well as one of the most vitriolic and divisive political campaigns in recent memory.   Fed up with 24/7 news cycles and the proliferation of more and more impersonal electronic media (that connects us while at the same time keeps us apart) we decided that we wanted to create a comfortable place where all kinds of people would want to come hang out, eat delicious but healthy food, drink cool craft beer, fun wine and creative cocktails and be entertained. We want to remind folks that earthquakes, busted nuclear power plants, crooked politicians and 401K’s aside, life is still fun and getting out of the house and spending time laughing and sharing good times are all good for your soul.

That brings us to why 98 and not 99 bottles. We want you to take a bottle down and pass it around with friends, family or even the person you just met who is sitting next to you, if not literally then metaphorically…it’s all about the sharing...THEN it will be 98. Our food menu is also designed to encourage sharing. No formal entrees here, just great platters, dips, salads, munchies and desserts you’ll want to split with everyone at the table.  Our retail store will feature great gift box ideas so when you discover an olive oil or locally made delicacy that you just love, you can pair it up with a great bottle of wine and give it to your neighbor, your boss, your aunt or your girlfriend.

Our entertainment and events calendar will be the pièce de résistance.  It will feature something for everyone - jazz, comedy, open mic, spoken word, fashion shows, food pairing events, even our own original musical revue – there will always be something fun to do at 98 Bottles. All of our entertainment and events will involve real people not TV or computer screens.  We trust that will lead to thoughtful conversation and dialogue, and maybe new friendships along the way.  This is how we plan to accomplish our mission…to get you out of the house and into the moment.

The Finished Product

The Finished Product

After two days of stripping (mostly Chris) and two more days of grinding (almost all Chris), here is the finished product, a pure concrete floor ready for staining (after a few days of sweeping and mopping-you wouldn't believe the dust).

The Grinder

Tight on cash? Start stripping...

We've known from the beginning that the budget would be tight, but we certainly didn't expect to have to resort to stripping so soon.   Being the perfectionist that he is, Chris did his research first.  After watching some instructional videos he gathered the guts to head off to the local stripper store. After shopping around he decided to go with the heavy duty steel, after all you can't expect the bests results with a cheap approach.  Amped up on caffene and sheathed in black nylon, from 11:30 am to 7:30 pm   Chris stripped away - right in our plate glass window.  Even though it was a dark and stormy day, plenty of people came by to watch the show. He may not have made any tips, but Chris certainly made an impression! Lots of neighbors raved about how delighted they are to have us joining the neighborhood.  Looks like Chris was an instant success.

By 1:30 Jill came by to try her hand at the stripping thing.   From the pictures you can see that she clearly chose the wrong outfit.  What WAS she thinking? Jill's first two attempts almost resulted in serious bodily injury.  At one point she lost control and almost went slamming into the front window.  But eventually she was stripping like a seasoned pro.  Steve didn't make it down to strip, but that's OK because that's how he used to make a living. 

After 8-hours of stripping the job is only about half done.  Its a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it.  Next week we gotta start GRINDING!

The pole

The Ninja (don't try this at home)

What WAS she thinking

The Twirl

Still got lots of grinding to do

Can you hear me now?

See the little white ADA lift in the left corner? We are required to have a dedicated phone line  installed inside the lift so if someone were to become "trapped" in the lift they could call for help.  As you can clearly see, if the lift were to become inoperable during business hours a simple "hey, I'm stuck" would alert everyone in the place.   However,  if a handicapped person were to break in after hours we certainly wouldn't want them to be trapped until the police arrive, so we're o.k. with the added monthly expense.  One gleaming example of government bureaucracy at it's best.  

Going Once, Going Twice...

What started out as a casual, "let's check out a restaurant auction" turned into an unexpected, though necessary, shopping spree.  It was like when you go to Target with toothpaste and toilet paper on your list only to walk out hundreds of dollars later.  At the preview yesterday we decided to bid on some nice hardwood chairs, and depending on how things went, maybe a sink. We got to the auction early and sat nervously trying to listen and learn so when our turn came to bid we wouldn't embarrass ourselves.  Finally after about an hour and a half the chairs came up for bid.  Before we could even lift our "paddle" the price was twice the amount we had set as our limit. So the chairs came and went. Bummer!  We quickly assured each other that while the chairs were nice, they really weren't worth the bid price. We shook off the feeling of defeat, bolstered ourselves and waited for the sink's lot number to be called.  With some research and common sense we had calculated that a three compartment sink, at auction, couldn't be worth more than $150, the one we bid on went for $400.  Really?  We watched as everything from flatware to walk-ins was auctioned off (does anyone really USE a table mounted potato chip slicer?) Then we got the fever.  We circled back down every aisle to see what we might have missed.  After all we didn't get the chairs, so there must be other things to buy. Six hours later we are now the proud owners of: one stainless steel 6-foot work table; a brand new, open-front deli refrigerator/merchandiser; two 3-sink under bar units; one 3-compartment dish sink; and a wall-mounted hand sink.  That may not seem glamorous but we got some good deals and we are proud of it! The whole experience was frustrating yet satisfying, exhilarating yet exhausting, a great learning experience and generally tons of fun. Now all we have to do is rent a truck, load everything up and take it down to the space in the morning.  There is still LOTS more to buy.  This could turn into an addiction (soon that potato chip slicer may seem like just what we need). 

Alphabet Soup

For years we've been searching MLS, calculating NNNs and CAMs. Then finally after signing an LOA with BRE we signed an LOI with our PM.  Then we had to hire a GC to figure out the HVAC and to work with SDG&E to determine the BTUs.  That required a CAD. Next our CPA helped us switch our CORP from a C to an S. Then we had to apply for an NUP and CUP with CCDC. ABC required a receipt from CCDC before we could apply for our Type 42. Tonight we met with the CAB hoping they will recommend a letter of support from their BOD. That was with the LIA.  Last week we met with LINO and the week before Chris went to a meeting of DISI. Before long we'll have to deal with ADA and EDD, and depending on which plan we choose, maybe AT&T.
OMG!

The Biz - What it iz!

Now that we have you intrigued and rooting for us, we thought we should at least tell you what 98 Bottles is all about:

Bottles, bottles everywhere and lots of fun, food and drink. 98 Bottles™ is a boutique retail & entertainment lounge concept where fine service and fun go hand in hand. At 98 Bottles™ the finest food and drink will be presented by a highly trained staff who will not only serve you, but also help educate your palate.  A monthly calendar of the best quality talent and fun events will provide a much needed entertainment alternative to run-of-the-mill pubs, sports bars and nightclubs.

Our small retail area will feature custom-made gift boxes for every occasion with artisan oils, vinegars, spreads, and other gourmet delights as well as hard to find craft beer, sake and wine. Unique glassware, books, artist creations and kitchen novelties will also be sold.

At 98 Bottles™ wine will not be allowed to dominate.  Equal time and careful attention will be paid to the ever growing variety of quality craft beer as well as our own signature sake and wine-based cocktails  Our shared-style menu will feature flat breads, dipping platters, antipasto, sumptuous desserts and other international fun fare that can all be enjoyed in a comfortable and casual front lounge area or in the intimate entertainment venue in the back.

The entertainment options at 98 Bottles™ will range from the expected to the truly unique; Vocalists, Jazz Trios, Spoken Word, Comedy, Open Mic, and good old fashioned Game Nights will be interspersed with regular educational food and drink pairing events. Our Musical Proud-igies™ series will provide an outlet for San Diego’s most talented gifted young musicians. There will always be something fun going on at 98 Bottles™.

98 Bottles™  is located in downtown San Diego's Little Italy North creative district. This up and coming artist enclave houses art galleries, design studios, architects, photographers, high end furniture retailers and antique dealers.  

The opening of 98 Bottles™ is proof that, with patience and persistence, dreams really do come true. Husband and wife Steve Anthony Mesaros and Jill Mesaros, along with long time family friend Chris Hjerling have been searching for five years for just the right place to open 98 Bottles™.  The three long-time San Diego residents will create a venue where customers are reminded that life is still fun and that laughing and sharing good times are good for the soul. 

Another Milestone - We've Been Posted

On Saturday our consultant Marco Polo Cortes brought us the official ABC posting for our window.  It stays up for 30 days.  Next we do a mailing to everyone within 500 feet of the property and keep our fingers crossed that no one protests our license application.  Keep YOUR fingers crossed too and your toes, arms, legs and anything else you can think to cross!

Steve, Chris, Jill & Marco Polo  

Close up of the official posting!  

No we didn't coordinate our hat selection-it was pure coincidence

A Love Letter to our Realtor

Our realtor extraordinaire Robb Frye of Cassidy Turley BRE (downtown office) called this morning to see how things are going.  It reminded me that we haven't sufficiently thanked him, in a public way, for the amazing work he did for us.  Robb is a great guy!   He stuck with us for more than a year doing his best to negotiate on several places and finally finding us the site on Kettner.   The best thing about Robb is, no matter how hot and frustrating negotiations get, he remains even tempered and calm.  And most importantly, Robb never gave up on us and our dream. So here's to you Robb.  Once we're open we will toast you properly with a glass of great beer or fine wine, your choice.

Think Good Thoughts

Well we filed our CUP and ABC applications today.  Whew!  Now it's all in the hands of the city of San Diego and the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control! In two hectic weeks, Chris has become expert in the following: draft and design, application completion, chief B.S.er  and official shmoozer (the B.S.ing part comes naturally cause he's full of it anyway).  Special thanks to our consultant Marco Polo Cortes of Cortes Communications for walking us through the process.  Now Marco's work really begins as he helps usher our applications through the maze of City Hall and ABC.


In other words, we have officially asked permission to do our business...let's hope it's granted so PLEASE think good thoughts!


P.S. Every time I see, say or write CUP it reminds me of that grade school joke...

Photos & Drawings

Our first proposed floor plan

Front of the building

From the front door looking back

Back of the space

Along the upper rail

(Feb 8, 2011) Consultants

So, last week was all about getting the right people working for us to start this process.  We now have a general contractor, a kitchen consultant and a government advocate to help us through the maze of the CUP and ABC license application process.  At least we were well versed in the process, thanks to Chris' very thorough research and having met with several kitchen consultants, restaurant consultants, architects, designer, ABC license attorneys and many others over the years.  Here's what I have to say about consultants.  You have to try to find people who think like you do.  We are determined to work with people who think positively, respond promptly and who see the intrinsic value in getting the job done as expediently and inexpensively as possible.    We're also determined  NOT to work with those who don't listen, just want to throw money at the problem or are negative nay sayers.  You would be amazed at how many folks out there fall into one or more of those categories. The negative Nancys surprise me the most.  To them I want to say we KNOW what we are trying to do is challenging, we KNOW it takes approval from many levels of government, we KNOW it takes way too long to get the necessary approvals, we KNOW many in the restaurant business fail, we KNOW it won't be easy.  But, the bottom line is WE ARE DOING THIS so somehow we will just figure it all out.

(Feb 1, 2011) - Got the keys!

Now it's REALLY official.  Today we got the keys and the signed copy of the lease and away we go.  Went to the space and got to see it empty for the first time (there was a temporary tenant there before). It's GORGEOUS!  More later.  And yes Richard...there will be cake!

(1/31/11) Day 1...really day 2,555

Today we finally began what I can only assume will be, the long and arduous (but hopefully tons of fun and full of learning experiences) process of opening a boutique beer and wine bar, retail store and entertainment venue in San Diego. So I guess you could say it's day 1, but by any other calculation, it's at least day 2, 555 because it was in 2004 or 2005 that this process really began. For 15 years we ran The Theatre in Old Town, a for-profit theatre producing long running commercial hits.  We were the home of many great musicals and comedies including "I Love You, You're Perfect Now Change," "The Male Intellect," "Shear Madness," "BEEHIVE," and our amazing five year run of "Forever Plaid."  It was a great time, we produced lots of fun shows, our audiences had a blast and we were really quite successful.  But in 2006 when California State Parks decided to put the theatre out to bid requiring a lot of capitalization, a lot more rent and historically accurate interpretive programming, we decided to pass.  It was time to move on.  For a couple of years we worked on developing a new theatre in North County but several locations fell through (THANK GOD) because when the crash of 2009 rolled around we were kissing the ground and thanking our lucky stars that we were no longer in the theatre business.  So over the past two years or so we have refined our plan and began looking for a space to run a boutique craft beer and wine bar with light food service and intimate entertainment.  Since we live in Encinitas, we were still convinced we wanted to be in North County.  And when I tell you we looked, I mean there are dozens of businesses open now in the locations we considered.  But, none were the right fit.  Finally our realtor told us about a space in Northern Little Italy on Kettner Blvd.  It was love at first sight.  So last Thursday we signed a lease and today we signed an agreement with our general contractor, and away we go!  We have done our homework and researched (ad naseum) all of the permits, fees, application processes and other hoops we will have to jump through, and still we have decided to move forward.  You would be amazed, if not shocked, at how hard it is to open a small business, particularly when there is beer and wine involved.  But, my partners and I (my husband Steve and good friend Chris) feel like we are up to the challenge.  So here we go, we've made the commitment, we're taking the chance and making the leap...keep your fingers crossed.  We will keep you posted. 

Consultants

So, last week was all about getting the right people working for us to start this process.  We now have a general contractor, a kitchen consultant and a government advocate to help us through the maze of the CUP and ABC license application process.  At least we were well versed in the process, thanks to Chris' very thorough research and having met with several kitchen consultants, restaurant consultants, architects, designer, ABC license attorneys and many others over the years.  Here's what I have to say about consultants.  You have to try to find people who think like you do.  We are determined to work with people who think positively, respond promptly and who see the intrinsic value in getting the job done as expediently and inexpensively as possible.    We're also determined  NOT to work with those who don't listen, just want to throw money at the problem or are negative nay sayers.  You would be amazed at how many folks out there fall into one or more of those categories. The negative Nancys surprise me the most.  To them I want to say we KNOW what we are trying to do is challenging, we KNOW it takes approval from many levels of government, we KNOW it takes way too long to get the necessary approvals, we KNOW many in the restaurant business fail, we KNOW it won't be easy.  But, the bottom line is WE ARE DOING THIS so somehow we will just figure it all out.

Day 3 ( a day late)

Too tired last night to write anything.  It was a 13 hour day, but very interesting and informative.  Suffice it to say that opening a small business where food and wine are concerned is not for the faint of heart.  But, we have had many months to do tons of research so there are no real surprises.  The goal is to get the CUP (conditional use permit) and ABC wine and beer license applications in by next week.  I think we'll make it.  Stay tuned.

Day 4 (Photos)

Here are some photos of the space that Chris took with his iphone.  Let us know what you think by writing a comment below.

Front of building

Looking to the back from front door

Upper level

Along upper railing

Day 2 - Got the keys!

Now it's REALLY official.  Today we got the keys and the signed copy of the lease and away we go.  Went to the space and got to see it empty for the first time (there was a temporary tenant there before). It's GORGEOUS!  More later.  And yes Richard...there will be cake!

Day 1 (really day 2,555)

Today we finally began what I can only assume will be, the long and arduous (but hopefully tons of fun and full of learning experiences) process of opening a boutique beer and wine bar, retail store and entertainment venue in San Diego. So I guess you could say it's day 1, but by any other calculation, it's at least day 2, 555 because it was in 2004 or 2005 that this process really began. For 15 years we ran The Theatre in Old Town, a for-profit theatre producing long running commercial hits.  We were the home of many great musicals and comedies including "I Love You, You're Perfect Now Change," "The Male Intellect," "Shear Madness," "BEEHIVE," and our amazing five year run of "Forever Plaid."  It was a great time, we produced lots of fun shows, our audiences had a blast and we were really quite successful.  But in 2006 when California State Parks decided to put the theatre out to bid requiring a lot of capitalization, a lot more rent and historically accurate interpretive programming, we decided to pass.  It was time to move on.  For a couple of years we worked on developing a new theatre in North County but several locations fell through (THANK GOD) because when the crash of 2009 rolled around we were kissing the ground and thanking our lucky stars that we were no longer in the theatre business.  So over the past two years or so we have refined our plan and began looking for a space to run a boutique craft beer and wine bar with light food service and intimate entertainment.  Since we live in Encinitas, we were still convinced we wanted to be in North County.  And when I tell you we looked, I mean there are dozens of businesses open now in the locations we considered.  But, none were the right fit.  Finally our realtor told us about a space in Northern Little Italy on Kettner Blvd.  It was love at first sight.  So last Thursday we signed a lease and today we signed an agreement with our general contractor, and away we go!  We have done our homework and researched (ad naseum) all of the permits, fees, application processes and other hoops we will have to jump through, and still we have decided to move forward.  You would be amazed, if not shocked, at how hard it is to open a small business, particularly when there is beer and wine involved.  But, my partners and I (my husband Steve and good friend Chris) feel like we are up to the challenge.  So here we go, we've made the commitment, we're taking the chance and making the leap...keep your fingers crossed.  We will keep you posted.