by Debbi | May 16, 2011 | Bachelorette Parties, Birthday Party, Guest Blogs, Our Ghost, Pub Crawl, Stories
Here's a guest blog from long-time bartender Heather, works the Friday 5-9 shift. Last Friday was Heather's first shift back after several days off, and it happened to be Friday the 13th. Welcome back, Heather!
Friday the 13th, another Friday night down at The Sandbar- or so I thought walking in the door. That was before five bar crawls, a bachelorette party and a birthday celebration made their way through our doors. Yes, that’s right: five bar crawls in just four hours.
One group of bar crawlers got out the super long shotski, one group sang their sorority song, there were matching T-shirts, Dirty Banana shots, Shark Attacks, Bahama Mamas, broken glassware, yelling, hugging, and photo-taking. One group had a guy calling out the remaining time in the bar, which, having been on a bar crawl or two, I thought was awesome.
Most of our patrons were quite patient with the ruckus and, in fact, seemed amused by all of it. In addition to all of the festivities we had old friends, new friends, a just-turned-21-year-old and his family, a cute little guy in his stroller, a soon-to-be-married couple out on a date, a potential romance blooming and, of course, some KU Grads.
Personally, I think the ghost may have even been in attendance as well. We have a handy step stool for those of us who aren't Dave’s height. I was getting down from pulling a couple of T-shirts and missed the bottom step. Instead of crashing to the floor I just kind of… landed. Okay, so it isn’t that far to the ground, but I am a klutz of the highest order. Which was unfortunate for Phil on this particular night as I did actually stomp on his foot once or twice.
At the end of it all I can’t help but think that Jimmy Buffet could probably turn this particular night into one heck of a song!
The night was so full of entertainment that we'll have several more guest blogs from Heather about the evening. Stay tuned!
by Debbi | Mar 28, 2011 | Cool Stuff, Guest Blogs, People, Social Media, Stories
Editor's note: I discovered Team Cocktail on Twitter one day, and after perusing their website decided that they seemed like people who would hang out at the Sandbar. I asked them to write some guest blogs to introduce our friends to their lifestyle. No, I didn't get a free t-shirt in exchange for letting them talk about their products, just wanted to share their story.
We were very excited to be asked to join The Sandbar party by writing a few guest blogs. So here we are, ready to party! As you can tell by our name, Team Cocktail, we love cocktails…especially tropical beverages like the Hurricane. Since our company and designs are inspired by beaches and cocktails, and we're based out of Olathe, KS, it seems that The Sandbar and Team Cocktail have a lot in common! So, to start I'm going to give you a brief background on how Team Cocktail got started and answer a few questions. Now go pour a cocktail and let's have some fun Team Cocktail style!
Team Cocktail – The Story (2006)
Every great story begins in the Caribbean, right? To set the scene: think 28 friends on a cruise ship, 8 days, 7 islands and a boat load of liquid inspiration. We had a group, we needed a name and the obvious name was born: Team Cocktail.
The Brand (A few years later)
Sailing away from Barbados, a few martinis in, the Team Cocktail founders had an epiphany. Life is best enjoyed in a t-shirt, shorts and flip flops…and with a drink in hand. We always loved buying destination t-shirts from all of the local businesses but hated the way they felt and washed up when we would get them home. They were typically cheap, scratchy and would shrink to an unwearable size. So we decided to create our own beach & cocktail inspired t-shirts, hats, koozies and other accessories with an emphasis on quality. All of our shirts are a cotton/poly blend, so they are ultra soft to the touch and will not shrink. Thus you can wear them time and time again.
And so here we are a year later, and a few more martinis in, lawyers have been called, trademarks are registered and t-shirt designs are hot off the press.
Now on to the fun stuff!
How do you decide on new shirt designs? I was going to say something proper like "our shirt designs are inspired by a deep creative process where we look back on our favorite travel memories & cocktails." But let's be honest. Most of the time they are developed after we have had several drinks and then inspiration hits, or the buzz hits, and then we think every idea is fabulous. So the next day we look back through our notes and see which ones truly are funny, fun and representative of the Team Cocktail brand. We also work with the Kansas City creative agency Johnny Lightning Strikes Again who has great ideas and is able to bring our ideas to life!
How long have you been in business? We have been working on building the brand (i.e. developing designs, getting trademarks, etc.) for over a year. But went live with our website and first designs in December 2010.
What inspired the idea to actually create products & a business? Our mission is to create products that make people have fun, relax, and enjoy life as we do…one cocktail at a time. We really want to create quality products that people can enjoy while traveling or just spending time with friends. Team Cocktail is about having fun and enjoying what you do. We enjoy traveling and cocktails, so we made it our business. People always tell you to love what you do, well that couldn't be more true for us. We LOVE what we do, and we hope you do too!
If you made it to the end of this blog I'm sure your glass is empty so you better go get another. We hate for ice cubes to be lonely. Please check out our website www.teamcocktail.com where you will find our t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, flip flops, bottle openers, slap koozies and much more. We are adding new products weekly and will soon be launching a men's board shorts line.
You can also find our blog there, where you can read about our travel experiences (focused on favorite beaches, beach bars, & bartenders), party times (pictures of our fans partying in TC style) and drinks (drink recipes we love, & love to make). We would love to hear from you so feel free to contact us on Facebook, Twitter, or through the website. You can also sign up for our newsletter to receive special discounts, new arrival announcements, and just fun stuff!
As you are traveling remember to TRAVEL GLOBAL, DRINK LOCAL!!
Cheers!
Team Cocktail
by Debbi | Mar 7, 2011 | Guest Blogs, People, Stories
This is a guest blog from former bartender/bouncer Cheryl, who worked here in the mid-90's. Cheryl was the first female staff member who actually was assigned a door shift- and she was an excellent doorgirl/bouncer. Cheryl was back for a visit last fall, and we asked her to share her thoughts on the Sandbar with our readers.
Sometimes I think that college was so long ago there is no way the Sandbar could really have been such a perfect place and there is certainly no way that it could be anywhere close to the same now. Then I get a little nostalgic, make myself a margarita and think "those were the days." And that's just a little sad…
So I decided a visit was in order.
It had been about 10 years since my last trip and 15 years since I worked there. I started working for Peach at Jox Sports Bar and Grill, with the famous hot and honey wings courtesy of Kelly French, and started tending bar at the Sandbar as soon as I turned 21.
I also was the Tuesday $1 anything night bouncer, which made for many memorable nights, with Dave behind the bar. I worked at the Sandbar for a year a half, and I am pretty sure I made about $20 – the rest of my pay went to liquor. I would hazard a guess that in those 18 months I was at the Sandbar at least 5 nights a week. Of course we went elsewhere, but we always started and/or ended at the Sandbar.
We spent so much time there – time well documented in photos and various hairsyles – that I thought a return trip might be a let-down. I'm certainly not in college anymore, and I'm practically old enough to be some of the customers' mom. Well that might be a stretch, but I am definitely old enough to have babysat one of the current bartenders. (That would be Andrew.)
I am proud to say I was part of the first Sandbar St Patrick's Day float. But that was a LONG time ago. Surely the jukebox had changed or the drinks or the decor or the atmosphere… there was just no conceivable way that it could be as much fun now as it was then.
My old schol hall roommate and I met in Lawrence in November to go to a game at Allen Fieldhouse. My mom came with since she loves the Jayhawks and the Sandbar nearly as much as I do. After the game on Friday night we headed straight to the Sandbar. Dave was behind the bar and it was immediately apparent that nothing fundamental about the Sandbar had changed.
Don't get me wrong, there have been many changes- the swag handed out with drinks, the hurricane, the tiki hut over the bar, the dirty banana shot. There's even more than 2 taps now – the choices have expanded beyond Bud Light or Bud Light. But the vibe is the same, many of the customers are the same, the jukebox is basically the same (Shake a Tailfeather anyone?), my license plate is right over the jukebox where it belongs.
Most importantly, the way the Sandbar feels is the same. The sense that all is well and the beach is just around the corner. It's a party, it was home for a time, and it is still one of my favorite places in the world. Somehow it was like I never moved to Colorado.
We came back Saturday and had just as much fun making fools of ourselves. Like Jimmy Buffett said, "we are the people our parents warned us about".
Thanks to everyone there for making my trip to Lawrence memorable. I won't wait 10 years to come back…
(And as a side note, thank god Pizza Shuttle hadn't changed their number -call 842-1212, call it now Pizza Shuttle – and still offers a 2-fer special and delivery into the wee hours…)
Cheryl also sent us a bunch of old-school Sandbar photos. Here's a sneak peek of one now, and we'll publish more over the next week:
Cheryl and a much-younger Dave, back in the day.
by Debbi | Mar 3, 2011 | Guest Blogs, St. Patrick's Day
This is a guest blog by the Sandbar's art director & chief mischief maker, Brother Pants. If you need something framed, he's your guy. Visit him at Fast Frame on West 6th Street.
The Sandbar has been entering floats in the St Patty's Day parade for over a decade, but the thing that makes their floats as unique and original as the bar itself is their departure from the rules of traditional parade floats. With the Sandbar, it is less a float as it is a theatrical experience. And that's why I am honored to be part of the team.
It actually reminds me of my high school experiences in the theater department. The float ideas start months in advance (usually over some tasty beverages) and the construction and production is very similar to a stage production. Of course the actual building of the float goes on for a few weeks by a horde of volunteer workers (usually consisting of employees or SB regulars) led by the dedicated Dave Johanning, compiling hundreds of manhours (and beers).
On another front, staff members often teach dance routines, create costumes and build scenery. And amidst the madness, as time is running short, there always seems to be a specific moment when you just know it's going to be a great show (for me last year, it was when I saw the smoke come out of the dragon's nose at 1 a.m. in Dave's shop). Always a team effort.
And when the big day arrives, and the anticipation peaks, and the music rises, and thousands of people line the streets, it's as if the curtain rises on the stage and the show begins. It's worth every minute.
by Debbi | Dec 22, 2010 | Christmas, Events, Guest Blogs
Here's a quick guest blog from long-term Friday bartender Heather. She kindly included a few pictures she snapped at Friday's holiday party. You can see more pictures on our Flickr page or our Facebook page.
Every year Phil and I like to celebrate the holidays with a little holiday cheer. For us that means adult egg nog and snacks. This year our Sandbar friend, Vicki, was kind enough to bring some homemade cookies and they were yummy. Don’t feel bad if you didn’t get any because I ate over half the plate! Enjoy the pictures and we hope to see you soon.
Thanks to everyone who came out last Friday for Phil & Heather's annual party! It was a great night and a full house, and we appreciate your business!
by Debbi | Nov 4, 2010 | Events, Guest Blogs, Halloween
Yes, we're still talking about Halloween. We love it. It's our second favorite holiday of the year. We'll talk about it until we have something better to talk about. And we also love guest blogs- this one is by our friend Jana, a Rocky Horror bus tour virgin this year.
I listened to the stories, I saw pictures from the 2009 bus tour, but was I really ready to take this tour myself? I hesitated to commit, wavered on costumes ideas, and finally the day came to just get on the bus and ride. For my first Rocky Horror trip with the Sandbar I went a little more conservative. I went as Janet, before arriving at the castle.
I started the trip by meeting Bettina, Hayley and David at Chad’s house. I arrive at Chad’s in a white dress with a cardigan. Chad is getting all done up as a French maid. Hayley rushes in dressed in a black corset and needing help to get the corset tied and garter on her fishnet hose. As we are preparing to leave David arrives dressed as Frank-N-Furter. We all burst out clapping and hollering as he struts towards us in black high heels, glittering corset, wig, and fishnets.
Downtown Lawrence on Friday night became a Nightmare on Mass St. Chad dropped us off and then attempted to find a parking spot amid the chaos. (He ended up parking blocks away and getting picked up by the bus on Connecticut St.) We loaded on the bus with many dressed in corsets, as French maids, and more fishnet than the Gulf of Mexico has seen recently. Thus our tour began with singing, dancing and drinking on a school bus headed first to Baldwin then on to the show in Ottawa.
The show began with Scotty Mac and David explaining the rules of Rocky Horror. We are encouraged to sing, dance and shout out during the movie. We have props like water guns, flashlights, bubbles, and glow sticks. A hush descends in the theater as Scotty and David announce “Now show the lips.†People start singing and yelling as the opening credits begin. Throughout the movie Scotty and David shout out questions and everyone participates in the experience by shouting and cheering the action on the screen. Hayley and I jump up to the front of the theater to join in the “Time Warp.†Scotty and Jen run up front to dance during the stage show. Then Michelle and Justin interrupt, dressed as Magenta and Riff Raff in their gold and black uniforms, to capture Frank and return to Transylvania.
Everyone spills back out into the lobby of the movie theater to prepare to load onto the bus for the long trip home. The excitement and energy is palatable as the bus starts heading back to Lawrence. We are singing and dancing in the aisle. And my Rocky Horror bus trip ends back at the Sandbar, but clearly not back to reality just yet.
I can’t wait for next year. My mind is spinning with costume ideas. Am I ready to go more risqué? Will you be seeing me in fishnets and a corset? Guess we’ll find out in a year…
