Dunbars

[Tcl123]

http://www.cornellsun.com/section/news/content/2013/02/01/after-33-years-collegetown-owner-plans-sell-dunbars

Sad news indeed

[ugarte]

Such memories will not make selling the bar, a Collegetown fixture that has seen hundreds of Cornellians pass through its doors, easy, Peppin said.

It's a wonder he was able to keep the place open for 33 years.

[Trotsky]

I hope he knows how much we appreciate it.  And I agree -- God knows how you keep a dive bar open for 30 years after they hike the drinking age and make 80% of your clientele illegal.

Our Cornell experience was created by people like Dave.  It didn't just "happen."

Hopefully there will be generations more who carry on, not necessarily that bar or even that type of place, which may by now be as anachronistic as 19th century dance hall with today's yutes, but whatever is analogous now.

[ftyuv]

I hope he knows how much we appreciate it.  And I agree -- God knows how you keep a dive bar open for 30 years after they hike the drinking age and make 80% of your clientele illegal.

Our Cornell experience was created by people like Dave.  It didn't just "happen."

Hear, hear.

but whatever is analogous now.

I hope it's not a web site.

[Trotsky]

I hope it's not a web site.

It needs to have a non-zero* chance of catching something, or they're doing college wrong.

 * In the case of Dunbar's, that chance was roughly 50/50.

[ugarte]

I hope he knows how much we appreciate it.  And I agree -- God knows how you keep a dive bar open for 30 years after they hike the drinking age and make 80% of your clientele illegal.

1) I was making fun of the Sun.

2) If Dunbars 2012 was anything like Dunbars 1990, the change in law did nothing to change the clientele. I drank with a drivers license that a friend found in a cab that said I was 27, blonde and 6'5".

[Josh '99]

I hope it's not a web site.

It needs to have a non-zero* chance of catching something, or they're doing college wrong.

 * In the case of Dunbar's, that chance was roughly 50/50.

Not sure how you came to be posting a picture that I could swear I took on my phone, but hey, I guess there's no such thing as bad publicity.

[gonyr]

I really hope a possible new owner keeps it exactly the way it is. Although maybe purchasing a broom and a mop would be appropriate upgrades. Every college needs a true dive bar. For Cornell to have one that the Stanley Cup has visited is pretty special. I always make a point to stop in before last call when I'm back in Ithaca. It's truly comforting that Dunbar's has stayed the same all these years. And it seems just as crowded as ever, so it's I would assume it's probably financially viable to keep it running under new ownership. Anybody have an idea what the asking price is?

[dag14]

The problem is that Dunbar's is only crowded for 2-3 hours 2 or 3 nights a week.  So it probably isn't that profitable.  That is one of the reasons there are so few bars in Collegetown these days.  

Students drink where they live, and go out to Collegetown at 11 pm to be seen before hitting after-hours at a fraternity or apartment.  And that is if you have ID [fake or otherwise] to get into a bar.

Back in the good old days, when the drinking age was 18, virtually everyone at Cornell, including all the fraternity boys, went out to party at the bars, arriving at 8 or 9, not 11 pm, and staying until closing.  We did so for sure Thursday - Saturday, and the other nights of the week weren't completely off the table.  While there were fraternity parties, they were the exception, not the rule.  I remember spending at least 3 nights a week at the Chapter House, virtually every week, for my four years at Cornell.  I actually worked there with Kevin Pettit who tended bar sometimes in season and the place was always packed on weekends.

[css228]

The problem is that Dunbar's is only crowded for 2-3 hours 2 or 3 nights a week.  So it probably isn't that profitable.  That is one of the reasons there are so few bars in Collegetown these days.  

Students drink where they live, and go out to Collegetown at 11 pm to be seen before hitting after-hours at a fraternity or apartment.  And that is if you have ID [fake or otherwise] to get into a bar.

Back in the good old days, when the drinking age was 18, virtually everyone at Cornell, including all the fraternity boys, went out to party at the bars, arriving at 8 or 9, not 11 pm, and staying until closing.  We did so for sure Thursday - Saturday, and the other nights of the week weren't completely off the table.  While there were fraternity parties, they were the exception, not the rule.  I remember spending at least 3 nights a week at the Chapter House, virtually every week, for my four years at Cornell.  I actually worked there with Kevin Pettit who tended bar sometimes in season and the place was always packed on weekends.

Not true with Dunbars, I say they usually get a good crowd 4 nights a week. They're not open Mondays (or is it Sunday?). But Wednesday through Saturday, they are packed.

[David Harding]

I really hope a possible new owner keeps it exactly the way it is. Although maybe purchasing a broom and a mop would be appropriate upgrades. Every college needs a true dive bar. For Cornell to have one that the Stanley Cup has visited is pretty special. I always make a point to stop in before last call when I'm back in Ithaca. It's truly comforting that Dunbar's has stayed the same all these years. And it seems just as crowded as ever, so it's I would assume it's probably financially viable to keep it running under new ownership. Anybody have an idea what the asking price is?

Looking to see what I could find, I stumbled on this listing for The Nines, which includes the building, for $2,950,000.  The Burrito Place business is available for $97,500, presumably without the building.  It's not clear from the Sun story whether it's the business or the building plus business that are for sale.

[Robb]

The problem is that Dunbar's is only crowded for 2-3 hours 2 or 3 nights a week.  So it probably isn't that profitable.  That is one of the reasons there are so few bars in Collegetown these days.  

Students drink where they live, and go out to Collegetown at 11 pm to be seen before hitting after-hours at a fraternity or apartment.  And that is if you have ID [fake or otherwise] to get into a bar.

Reminds me of the dire straits facing English pubs, which are closing at calamitous rates.  20 years ago, 90+% of English beer was purchased in pubs (including takeout for consumption at home), but with the rise of American-style big box supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsbury's), the percentage is, IIRC, under 50% now.

[RatushnyFan]

Does anyone know if Dave owns the building?  I spent a lot of time there.  Maybe I'll buy it with some Cornell buddies.  I'd be much more interested if he owns the building.  Probably not a good investment, but a good excuse for me to get to Ithaca more than once a year.

Would people be offended if some of the music in the jukebox wasn't 40+ years old?  ::drunk::

[Josh '99]

Does anyone know if Dave owns the building?  I spent a lot of time there.  Maybe I'll buy it with some Cornell buddies.  I'd be much more interested if he owns the building.  Probably not a good investment, but a good excuse for me to get to Ithaca more than once a year.

Would people be offended if some of the music in the jukebox wasn't 40+ years old?  ::drunk::

Yes.  And don't even THINK about making American Pie one song.

[ftyuv]

Does anyone know if Dave owns the building?  I spent a lot of time there.  Maybe I'll buy it with some Cornell buddies.  I'd be much more interested if he owns the building.  Probably not a good investment, but a good excuse for me to get to Ithaca more than once a year.

Would people be offended if some of the music in the jukebox wasn't 40+ years old?  ::drunk::

Yes.  And don't even THINK about making American Pie one song.

Carly Rae on single-song repeat. Make it so.