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

[rick 918-S]

My Dad and I had a bar biz when I was 18. The rowdiest place in town 3.2 joint. There were 8 fights in 5 hours, started before noon one Sunday. I was working by myself...

Great way to make a small fortune.... out of a big one.

[Elliot Cannon]

My Dad and I had a bar biz when I was 18. The rowdiest place in town 3.2 joint. There were 8 fights in 5 hours, started before noon one Sunday. I was working by myself...

Great way to make a small fortune.... out of a big one.

I'm trying to picture Rick Ollah as a BOUNCER? Did you break up the fight yourself or did you have help? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pray.gif) Are you in posession of some super secret martial arts skills? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cheer.gif) I've seen a few bar fights and my attitude is... "give me three steps toward the door"!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

Cheers, Elliot (let me outa here) Cannon

[rick 918-S]

My Dad and I had a bar biz when I was 18. The rowdiest place in town 3.2 joint. There were 8 fights in 5 hours, started before noon one Sunday. I was working by myself...

Great way to make a small fortune.... out of a big one.

I'm trying to picture Rick Ollah as a BOUNCER? Did you break up the fight yourself or did you have help? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pray.gif) Are you in posession of some super secret martial arts skills? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cheer.gif) I've seen a few bar fights and my attitude is... "give me three steps toward the door"!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

Cheers, Elliot (let me outa here) Cannon

I can see where a big guy like you is coming from with that grin an chuckle. But, well, yes, as a matter of fact I did walked several drunks out the door by myself. I'm kind of one of those guys that run into the fire.

This is 32 years ago. I was just 6 months out of my body cast after major back surgury and I weighed 89 lbs. I'm not kidding. I looked like Popeye. I used to do 100 pushups in my body cast. I had big arms and a skeleton for a frame.
You can ask Sandy next time we see you. We've been together for 32 years.

You really can't get in a good old fashion fist fight anymore. Now when you fight a guy he doesn't pull a knife he pulls a lawyer.

Now you couldn't get away with this now but, I had a sawed off pool que behind the bar and I wasn't afraid to use it. You would be surprised how easy it is to walk a drunk guy out the door after one small crack with a blunt end of a pool que. It really stings. And when your drunk, your processor isn't working very good. By the time you figure out why your hand, shoulder, thigh or head hurts, I have you off balance by the shirt and belt and I'm walking your snuggy out the door fast.

I never had a fight with anyone smaller than me, and I've only had my bell rung once. I like being the nice guy with the smiling face and nice things to say, but I'm kind of like a pit bull when my trigger is tripped. Ask Sandy what happened to the big Swede that stole her purse one night when we were 18.

Sorry for the Hi-jack response Sir, But it's life in the old school bar scene.