OT: any club/bar owners on here?, thinking about taking over a club ... Options

[SirAndy]

so i've been thinking about opening a bar/club here in oakland for a while now and yesterday i was offered what i would consider the ideal venue.

the club has been at the current place for 25 years, comes with full inventory, liquor license, venue license, got a large outside patio where people can smoke & drink, full bar, full kitchen (!), large stage for shows. about 3000 sf of inside space.
the current owner has simply been burned out and wants to retire.

now i have run my own bar back in germany and i'm friends with several club owners back home, so i know the business side of it, but it would be great if i could pick someone's brain who has run a bar/club here in the US.
i'm sure there'll be quite a few differences.

if you know anything about the club/bar business, please PM me so i can annoy you with lots of questions!
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Andy

[ConeDodger]

Rick,

You should explain to Andy that Minnesota is a dry on Sunday state that differentiates between beer and what we used to call squah piss which is the 3.2% alcohol beer. No on-sale on Sunday or after 10pm at night. People in Minneapolis and I would imagine Duluth would make a 'sconi pop' run to Wisconsin on Sunday to get real beer.
Also if your bar was up there on the iron range they fist fight with there mothers over who is going to do the dishes. So five fights in one day is probably pretty good...
My brothers had a brawl outside the ice house over who actually pulled in a 12# walleye one winter. Laughed there heads off when they were done...

Go Andy!!! I can see the neon now! The 914Club! That would probably have someones underwear in a twist!!!

[KaptKaos]

Rick,

You should explain to Andy that Minnesota is a dry on Sunday state that differentiates between beer and what we used to call squah piss which is the 3.2% alcohol beer. No on-sale on Sunday or after 10pm at night. People in Minneapolis and I would imagine Duluth would make a 'sconi pop' run to Wisconsin on Sunday to get real beer.
Also if your bar was up there on the iron range they fist fight with there mothers over who is going to do the dishes. So five fights in one day is probably pretty good...
My brothers had a brawl outside the ice house over who actually pulled in a 12# walleye one winter. Laughed there heads off when they were done...

Go Andy!!! I can see the neon now! The 914Club! That would probably have someones underwear in a twist!!!

Don't forget to get some cheese curds in Wisco. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/chair.gif)