A 98 Bottles Wedding Makes National News!

On Sunday 98 Bottles hosted a wedding reception for Dana and Brian, the two brave lovebirds who refused to let the federal government ruin their wedding day.  

Government shut down didn't stop these two!

Bride, Groom & guests watch news coverage 

For over a year they had planned to say their vows at their favorite spot in Yosemite National Park and then host a party for friends and family two days later at 98 Bottles.  Dana had dreamed of getting married at the top of Glacier Point since she was 8-years-old, but then the unthinkable happened...last Monday the government was shut down including all national parks.  So despite the $5,000 deposit they put down, they were told their wedding could not take place.



Being a surgical nurse, Dana is no stranger to challenges.  So once she recovered from the reeling news, she and Brian packed up and headed to Yosemite anyway.  None of the vendors they had hired at Yosemite were willing to take a chance of losing their park privileges so the daring duo, with close friends and family to help, moved barricades from the parking lot and got married at the spot of their dreams!  Their efforts were highlighted on The Today Show, Good Morning America and Channel 10 news.

The video clips of the ceremony and news coverage was a highlight at the 98 Bottles party Sunday.  What a blast! Good for you guys!  Such an auspicious beginning bodes really well for a long, happy life together.  Thank you for sharing it with us.

A Very Lucky Day

9/13/13

Who says Friday the 13^th is an unlucky day?  Today has actually been the luckiest of days with many wonderful signs. On the way to work a profound message on the car next to mine... “Change lives, start with your own.”  WOW!  Amazing advice and so true.  At Starbucks the friendliest, most helpful barista who really knew her customers by name and by their favorite coffee drink.  I told her, "it’s a great barista who knows her customers.”  She told me she had lost her job with the county and ended up having to work at Starbucks. She said at first it was really hard because she had never had to do that kind of work before, even when working her way through school.  But, she said now she sees her job as a blessing because she is able to "truly connect" with people, something she said "you can never do when going about your normal life."  And, she told me the work keeps her really busy which keeps her “in the moment.”  WOW – so profound.  I told her she was blessed to be aware of such a state of mind and that clearly that is why she is so happy.  She told me I made her day…but she is the one who made mine!  On the way home I passed a taxi, name on the cab was “New Life”.  Could there be a more clear sign of being on the right path? Friday the 13th...a truly lucky day.

98 Bottles App

It's official, we now have a free 98 Bottles app available for iPhone and Android!  It's really exciting...there's all kinds of cool content and we're still building more.  Some of the features include:

• Car Locator to help you know when your meter's up and also help you find your car if you forgot where you parked
• Call a Cab feature
• Tip Calculator
• QR code download
• Beer 101 & Wine 101 with interesting facts and info 
• Fan Wall
• Staff info
• 98 Bottles Event info
• 98 Bottles Rental info
• Direct connection to our instagram 

Plus, we can send you instant push notifications for special offers and events.  Check it out...download it...it's free!

Sunday FUN DAY

This week we're excited to launch Sunday FUN-DAY 98 Bottles style.  

Starting this Sunday June 23 we'll be open every Sunday from noon to 6pm with BOTTOMLESS MIMOSAS, Bellinis, Ballast Point Bloody Marys, great craft beer, fun wine  and free live acoustic music in the Lower Lounge and Painting & Vino or a music event in The Back Room.  

Check our website calendar for details.

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

How Do You Know When You Drank Too Much?

How Do You Know When You Drank Too Much? This Bergenbier Beer commercial says it all...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_a3oY1ND_8&feature=player_embedded#!

CURB APPEAL

98 Bottles is all spruced up and ready for summer.  Come by and check out our cozy outdoor patios.  The weather is beautiful and it's time to party.  

Patios are dog-friendly so bring along your furry friends.

THE OVERVIEW EFFECT

When we're bogged down with the daily hassles of life, we tend to lose our perspective.  No one knows that better than a small business owner. We end up focusing all of our attention on the never ending small and insignificant things that demand our attention  and we forget to see the beautiful interconnectedness of all things.  Apparently a trip to outer space changes all of that in an instant.  For 40 years, astronauts from all over the world have reported something called the Overview Effect, a cognitive shift in awareness that occurs after seeing Earth from space.  Check it out:

http://vimeo.com/55073825

HOW BEER SAVED THE WORLD

Next time you come in for a cold one, you can feel good about the fact that you are consuming a historically vital liquid that, according to one documentarian, literally saved the world.  Check it out…

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/how-beer-saved-the-world/

An Ode to the 98 Bottles Staff

 It takes a village, not just to raise a child, but to run a business.  Every employee’s part is essential to the success or failure of any operation. When you have exactly the right mix of people it all just works magically. In a small business this reality is amplified tenfold by the simple fact that there are less people to do all the work.  So everyone’s whole-hearted participation is key.  There is nothing more beautifully inspiring than gathering together a group of highly capable people, offering a little guidance, and then letting them loose to create while you stand back and watch the whole thing come alive.  At 98 Bottles we are blessed to have the most amazing staff. We are small but we are mighty!  Every single employee is unique and interesting, smart and motivated, funny and kind.  Our amazing kitchen staff manages to consistently put out delicious and beautifully presented food every single day, even when we are slammed with up to 80 guests who all arrive at the same time for shows in The Back Room.  Our server/bartending staff (who most of you know as the men in plaid) provide the very best customer service because they truly care about the people they serve.  Each and every one of them has their own distinctive personality and style and we are so proud of all of them.  So this is an ode to the 98 Bottles staff.  Thank you for all you do every day to help make 98 Bottles a success.  You guys are awesome-you make coming to work a pleasure!

A Dream Come True

One of the greatest joys of owning 98 Bottles is knowing that in some small way we make a difference in people's lives.  We feel blessed that In less than two years of being in business,  we have hosted two marriage proposals, bridal showers, engagement parties, weddings, countless birthday parties, worthy fund raising events and many, many other wonderful celebrations. 


Recently Steve got this email from Ilene Moyse that just blew us all away:

Mark and I met online in January 2012. I had seen a lot of my Facebook friends post about taking your Tap on Tap class 98 Bottles. I had such good memories of dancing with you at San Diego Jr. Theater in Crazy for You and Bye Bye Birdie. Mark had mentioned that he was also in a production of Crazy for You in high school, although not in a dancing role. I invited Mark to come with me to Tap on Tap for our first date. I knew he also grew up singing and doing musical theater, although he fully admits dancing is not his strong point. We had a fantastic time and Mark was such a good sport about the tap dancing even though he had zero experience. The activities you have at 98 Bottles are so great because there is zero pressure to do anything but have fun. 

In early February of this year Mark proposed to me on the USC campus outside of the Los Angeles a capella festival. We will be getting married on June 30 in Las Vegas. We love 98 Bottles for bringing us together!

When we started this business we dreamed of bringing people together in a setting that promotes conversation, new friendships and fun...looks like our dream is coming true.  Thank you Ilene & Mark and a sincere thank you to all of you who have chosen to share your very special moments with us.  That is a gift and a blessing...truly!

THE BACK ROOM gets a facelift

Since we're ever striving to improve and grow, we decided it was time for THE BACK ROOM to get a facelift.  

When we opened it seemed like a great idea to put the THE BACK ROOM performance area in the corner and it worked pretty well for the past year or so, but we kept thinking there had to be a better configuration.   

So last weekend we moved the performance space to the back wall, repositioned the sound board, rearranged

 the tables and chairs, added a real stage and  VOILA...it's a brand new BACK ROOM. Check it out.


Thanks to Andrew for rearranging and improving the sound, Jake for moving the electrics and Joe for building the stage...you guys are awesome!

The Blues on FIRE!

Sunday night 98 Bottles rocked the roof off with Nashville blues band Andy T and Nick Nixon.  The house was small but the energy could have ignited a forest fire!  Damn those guys were great!  

It's always harder to generate a large audience for out of town bands, but we're taking the chance anyway, and it is totally worth it for bands as stellar as this one.  We hope to bring them back on a weekend night sometime soon.  So, watch the calendar an DO NOT MISS THEM the next time.  If you do, it will most definitely be your loss.

98 Bottles in the news

 98 Bottles hosted two events this week that brought lots of media coverage.  

On Sunday March 24 we hosted a fund raising event for San Diego Repertory Theatre.  They are raising money for a new show called Federal Jazz Project that opens April 6.  It's inspired by trumpet virtuoso Gilbert Castellanos, a favorite of 98 Bottles Back Room music goers.  For 15 years Castellanos has hosted jazz jam sessions around town in warehouses and clubs and his work inspired Culture Clash's Richard Montoya to write a play about the San Diego jazz scene.  

KUSI news broadcast live from 98 Bottles at the event:
http://tinyurl.com/blp6h52

On Wednesday March 27 we hosted San Diego's Most Stylish Man Fashion Show put on by VIXEN.  With live art, DJ, fashion show and pop-up shopping it was an amazing night of fun.  It brought out all of San Diego's brightest and best dressed.  

The Pulse was there to cover the event:
http://tinyurl.com/cddwczj

Can't believe it's Spring

"Time flies when you're having fun"... if that old adage is true then we must be delirious!   How can it already be spring with April just around the corner?!?  It literally seems like just yesterday we were building the downstairs bar, choosing Halloween movies to show in the lower lounge, booking Christmas parties and planning New Year's Eve.  It's been a great 2013 so far.  We are constantly blown away with how many loyal customers come to see us every single week, their love and support is astounding!  Thursday night trivia is booming with more and more teams every week and The Back Room has been consistently hopping with amazing music.  We have hosted so many birthday, anniversary, retirement, engagement parties,  weddings and other milestone parties this past year.   Sharing those special moments with all of you has been an honor.  Clearly we are moving beyond the infancy stage and it feels great.  So here's a shout out to all of you who have made this 98 Bottles adventure a truly poignant and wonderful experience.