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It's not easy

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Just some stream of consciousness stuff here…

I heard Hooligans bar closed.

Not sure how Black Rose is doing, but I actually liked the atmosphere of the place that was there before (Boardriders) though the food sucked.

A number of my friends were big Lodge fans and that place has changed, what, two times now? It turned into a specialty burger place and then into a… noodle bar?..I think they're a noodle bar now. We haven't been back since it closed as the Lodge.

SCOOP was a popular college bar in Orlando but it opened here in Boca and died out pretty much a month later. I'd say it's a cursed location but O'Brians is flourishing only a couple doors down.

Part of the problem with all those places is a dearth of parking around there. It's so hard to find a spot.

Anyway, I bring this up to underscore how great it is when bars like Night Owl are able to survive because it's hard to draw in people and retain them, and furthermore to see what that could mean for the businesses that open up along 20th Street/University Blvd in the future.

It's not just Boca, either. Over the 18 months that I lived in Gainesville, several bars/restaurants opened and closed downtown. Some of them were popular. Some of them were cool concepts. There was a laser tag bar that has since changed into an arcade bar and according to my friends who are still up there, attendance dropped drastically.

It's unpredictable what will last, and even if Night Owl cements itself over the next five years, will people still want to go down there if 20th Street has a string of bars that are closer? Wonder if any of the "big ones" might consider moving to a new location along 20th if that really takes off.
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Re: It's not easy

I loved going to Mars! The laser tag room was pretty cool. I lived downtown in Gainesville and some spots just never do well because of parking. Theres a place on the corner of main and university that has changed a handful of times over the years because street parking isn't guaranteed and the nearest public garage is a few blocks away. Its called Sweet Mel's now and I'm amazed its still around.

In Boca, the Black Rose is my go-to spot whenever I go out. The female bartenders are hot, treat me like a regular and I generally enjoy the crowd they attract. I really hope they make it but it'd be awesome if bars like Black Rose were on 20th. I had some friends come down to visit and when we went out they suggested bars near campus. Sadly, I had to tell them we'd be better off downtown.
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Re: It's not easy

Yeah, there was no really good place to park in downtown Gainesville - everybody seemed to have a different spot that they'd swear by. Sweet Mel's… did that take over for Goodfellas? I used to work down the street on University and 6th (Copytalk). On the weekends I'd have dinner at The Top and then hang out around there.

The reason why the places along University do so well is because it's so walkable. There are a number of places (Swamp, Balls, Firehouse Subs, etc) that were a stone's throw from the Plaza of the Americas (UF's main quad). You cross one simple four lane street and bam, you can eat and drink. Walk down a couple blocks and you're in downtown. That's why it's so successful there and though FAU won't have quite the same convenience, we could approximate it with the 20th Street expansion and any eastward expansion of University Commons.

The upside right now is even if they built a couple places along 20th, there's still plenty of parking in that Plum Plaza… though it's currently for sale. The owners might have seen what happened next door and thought, "Hey, I could dump this off to some developer to build another dorm too!"
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Re: It's not easy

I can't see Night Owl having much more of a future. They live and die with the college crowd — and with the recent police presence, it isn't helping. One Boca PD officer told me they are seeking to shut the place down. It's a shame because that is one of Boca's only true college bars.
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Re: It's not easy

Andrew said

I can't see Night Owl having much more of a future. They live and die with the college crowd — and with the recent police presence, it isn't helping. One Boca PD officer told me they are seeking to shut the place down.

I sincerely hope this isn't true but I have a feeling you're right about this. Is it because of underage drinking? Or does Boca PD just have an agenda?

If they keep singling out every new college bar and running all the students off, we're never going to be able to build a college street here.
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Re: It's not easy

Went to Night Owl this past Friday and I was shocked how packed the place was. Considering it's the start of Summer classes (so no freshmen) I was expecting a small crowd. I think it'll be alright. Don't know if that's my brain or my heart talking, but I have a feeling.
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Re: It's not easy

It's not easy

Owl2Doc said

Andrew said

I can't see Night Owl having much more of a future. They live and die with the college crowd — and with the recent police presence, it isn't helping. One Boca PD officer told me they are seeking to shut the place down.

I sincerely hope this isn't true but I have a feeling you're right about this. Is it because of underage drinking? Or does Boca PD just have an agenda?


I think it has to do with underage drinking, they have raided the place a few times recently.
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Re: It's not easy

I think the nite owl will make for the fact it is busy all the time it is one thing to be the place everyone went on Thursday and  no other night of week and have to deal with cops. It is easier  to put up a fight when you are making money.
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