Melisa O.
Yelp
I always try to support smaller breweries, especially when I've had their offerings at beer festivals. I seek them out and tell my friends about them.
I arrived around 530 for a birthday party and decided to get my drink first before I went into the back room to sit with the group. The first thing I noticed is there was quite a line to order a drink and I realized it's because there was one bartender and not only did he have to pour beer, but he also had to make cocktails. It wasn't a big deal because it was early so I assumed they were going to bring somebody else on later. I got my drink and it was quite tasty but it was definitely pricey ($14 with tip.) I went to join my group and noticed there was another big group as well.
Around 6:15-6:25 we noticed folks bringing in what looked like band equipment. Then I heard somebody say "oh yeah there's a band tonight" and I looked at our group and the host kind of shrugged and said she checked the calendar and it didn't mention anything. Again, no big deal. We can always move to the front of house seating or maybe stay and enjoy the band. We were told they aren't starting until 8pm so we had time to decide. Meanwhile, people were ordering food from the food truck and eating and others were ordering more drinks.
I overheard somebody in our group tell us that the cover charge was $25 and I was absolutely shocked.
I said "that's not a band playing that's like a concert. I'm not paying that. But we also are already inside so I wonder how that would work?" The same person said "I think they're gonna make us leave" and I thought that was odd.
I observed the band starting to remove the empty tables and stack chairs and I looked at a friend and I said "I bet you they ARE going to ask us to leave." And we both kind of looked at each other because again, that sounds silly to make people that are already sitting and drinking leave. But nevertheless, we knew we had until 8pm.
Wrong. Around 6:45 someone from the band said "we know you were told 7pm but we need you all to leave so we can set up." We all just turned and looked at him like "what?!"
I was dumbfounded. Seriously? You guys came in after us and even if it is on their calendar, the fact that you're asking patrons to leave when we are all sitting here drinking and eating is baffling to me. People in my group and the people in the other group turned around and looked at this person with the "what did you just ask me" look. They didn't even tell us to come back after they set up. They literally told us to leave.
One of the other band members could see our frustration and she suggested that we go sit outside and I said I think that's where people are smoking so we went back into the main bar and out front, with people carrying their drinks and food while we try to find a place to sit.
I don't have a problem with them having a band to come play but at no point in time did the bartender say anything. At no point in time was there any advertisement anywhere in the bar that said that there was a band coming? It IS on their calendar on their website, but the only info is a name (assuming the name of the band) and a time listed at 8pm. No mention of the back room being reserved, a "cover charge", nothing.
What the bar should've done is put up a sign before you get to the back area that tells the patrons that there is a band coming and that they will have to vacate the space at said time so the band can set up. Or, at the very least, have the bartender mention it. I realize he was busy but a quick "hey, FYI" would've been appreciated. At least then we would've been prepared OR we would've relocated immediately.
I have never been to an establishment where they ask large groups of people to leave because they have a band coming. Normally they would encourage people to come back and listen once they set up but their attitude was like you need to leave. Yes we could've easily found other seating and stayed, but we were all done after that. We took our business elsewhere.
Disappointing for sure. I was enjoying everything until that happened. I will definitely question going there again.