[Phoenix-pm] beer night at Four Peaks

Scott Walters scott at illogics.org
Tue Dec 20 18:26:37 PST 2005


Hey Lane,

I'd heard some of that... nothing about the Martini Ranch, or Joe Bob
getting the equipment.  As of a month ago, the property is still there.  I dig
the brickwork.  The way I heard the story, they had just had a new kitchen put
in.  And of course, the whole Mill renevotion project, with the lake and paying
companies to move in, was just a you-scratch-my-back-I-scratch-yours scam to 
kick out a lot of small businesses, get monied interests in there, and raise 
property taxes, all at the same time.  And it's worked fantastically.  In fact,
this approach is so common, pervasive, and effective, I wonder why they even 
abuse eminant domain for non-infrastructure purposes.  Of course, big downtown
areas do this sooner rather than later.  And it always starts with incentives
for companies to build buildings.  Corporate welfare must die.

Hanging around Popago Brewing, I heard some rumor of Joe Bob getting a brewer 
gig out of state, but I didn't bother to note the details because of the 
unverifably nature of the rumor.  I don't mean to propogate it, but I'd like
to know that he's doing well and is happy, if you could debunk or elaborate
as appropriate.  Joe Bob is a good guy.  

Sorry.  This is a little ranty.  But, as you saw, it's a topic I have strong
feelings about.  So please pardon me, everyone. 

Regards,
-scott

On  0, Lane Davis <pm at upt.org> wrote:
> 
> On 20-Dec-2005 Anthony R. Nemmer wrote:
> > I hadn't realized that Bandersnatch had gone out of Biz.  When did this 
> > happen?  Do they plan on a reincarnation?  Seems to me they were doing 
> > really well!  Are they in the way of the new light rail or something?
> > 
> > Tony
> 
> <long version>
> 
> Bandersnatch closed their doors in September of 2003.  It's a long sordid  tale
> combining many factors that eventually led to its demise.  One of those factors
> was the simple fact that the business was having peaks and valleys that
> eventually didn't support an ongoing venture.  During the winter they did
> really well, especially on game days.  During the summer their business really
> dwindled but they seemed to hang in there because the up's and down's managed
> to even out somehow.  After a while, the way the story was told to me, the
> valleys became somewhat deeper than the peaks the business was losing money. 
> This is why you used to see the Banders building open on game days even as soon
> as a few months ago, the current owners realized how much money can be made by
> selling bud and miller to the college kids only during the games.  This isn't
> being done by the old Banders ownership though.
> 
> Then in 2001 the City of Tempe passed the smoking ban.  It wouldn't have been
> so bad had it been a state-wide ban like California passed in 1998.  However,
> individual municipalities passing their own smoking laws had the effect of
> driving the smokers (which unfortunately make up a lot of the beer drinkers) to
> neighboring cities where they could just ignore the smoking prohibition.
> 
> Then the rumors started coming out of city hall (not directly, and later
> completely denied I'm told) of an emminent domain takeover of Bander's
> property.  Since Bandersnatch had been lucky enough to grow up in an area
> of Tempe that took off (Bandersnatch opened their doors sometime in the mid
> 1970's) they now owned prime Tempe real estate just off of Mill Ave.  I'd heard
> the idea was to turn Bandersnatch into a parking garage or something.
> 
> To add to it all, running a restaurant business is very hard work, Joe and his
> wife weren't getting any younger.. and then the owners of Martini Ranch offered
> them a very good deal that Joe couldn't say no to, with the way everything was
> going. 
> 
> Last I was in the area (few months ago) the Banders building had weeds growing
> outside the locked gates and the inside patio area looked a horrible mess.  I
> can't even stand to drive past there anymore.  I don't know if they've torn it
> down yet.
> 
> Joe Mocca gave his brewer (Joe Bob Grisham) all the brewing equipment and
> permission to reuse the Bandersnatch brand in hopes that he could revive it
> somehow .. someday.  Last I heard they were still looking for a location and
> investment from people who wouldn't want to completely take the business over. 
> I doubt it'll ever happen.
> 
> Bandersnatch was the first brewpub ever in the State of Arizona.
> 
> -Lane
> 
> P.S. I hope it's not too much off the lists' charter, if anyone is interested in
> homebrewing as a hobby I can point them to the local homebrew chapter via
> private e-mail.
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