I SEE A BAR, WHAR? OVER THAR!

Well kids things are really coming along!  All of the plumbing is in place AND approved and the bar has been framed out.  All that's left for that portion of the project is the finishing decor touches which should be accomplished by the end of the week.  Then we just need to order bar refrigeration and stools, get them in place and then final inspections next week!  Our goal is to complete the entire project (new bar, new storefront and outdoor patio) by mid July.  And so far (keep your fingers crossed) we are right on target!


We will be closed just a couple of Tuesdays, May 29, June 5 and July 3 & 4 (holiday) but other than that we are OPEN DURING RENOVATIONS!  Come on by and check out our progress!

Our friend Eric who came all the way from Sacramento to help!  What a prince!

Back to the Grind

The floor  plumbing for the new bar is in and approved, so now it's back to the grind.  Chris is once again grinding away this time making the metal frame for the bar.  The question is, which is worse, metal spray in the face or in the crouch?  Look at the photos and you be the judge.

Don't anyone call OSHA!

This time at least we forced him to put on glasses, but he still didn't wear gloves, or sleeves for that matter.  

Either way, he'd better be careful, remember what happened last time he was grinding metal? (see August 26, 2011 blogpost - photo below)

Hole-y Crap!

Projects are ALWAYS ten times harder than they appear, especially when you're dealing with a 100 year old building.  Who would think that ALL the cinder block in this building would be filled solid with concrete, not hollow as any reasonable person would expect cinder block to be (that must be the way they did things back in the day... guess things really aren't made the way they used to be). So this week Chris and John tied their bandanas and went to work drilling the holes to run the plumbing.  Using a 50-pound core driller meant to be used vertically into the ground, they shouldered the damn thing and drilled through 8 inches of solid concrete managing somehow to operate the "Rambo" machine gun-like tool from the shoulder.   They finally managed to blast through the concrete creating the holes you see in this pic. Now we're ready to lay the pipes for plumbing.  We're hoping to have all the pipes laid next week for mid-term plumbing inspection shortly thereafter.  Once the plumbing goes in we can start concentrating on building the bar.  Once the bar is done we can focus on the interior decor and finally the new store front and outdoor patio. Once we are done, we will all drink...heavily. It all takes more time than you expect (of course) but we're still hoping for mid to late June completion. Oh, and the smiley face on the wall... that was Chris and John's way to show how happy they were to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. :-)=

In The Trenches

We got final Health Department approval to add our new bar and so the process begins!


One day of saw cutting which almost suffocated John THE MAN Heger (best plumber ever) & our beloved Chris with CO2 fumes AND created a literal river of mud in the Lower Lounge!) Next, a day of jack hammering and we finally reached dirt (which in our case is clay requiring a bit more jack hammering).   Hope to have the street level bar up and operational by mid June...but don't forget we're open during the renovation, jack hammering by day, serving beer & wine by night.   We're having some fun now!

Business As Usual

It's still business as usual at 98 Bottles, even as we begin our remodel.  We're maintaining our normal business hours (plus opening for a few extra Sunday events), and handling a lot of the current grunt work behind the scenes and after hours.

Still, you may have noticed a few small pieces of evidence that the building phase will begin soon...Exhibits A & B (notice the ladder and tape outlined on our floors):

But what's most important is still intact...Exhibit C:

Even during the planning phase, construction, and up to our official unveiling, 98 Bottles remains intact.  We're still your friendly, neighborhood bar with an impeccable drink selection and delicious dinner menu--and soon enough, we'll be your greatly improved friendly, neighborhood bar, with an outdoor patio and an even better space to boot!