by Debbi | Jul 4, 2016 | Events, Sandbar Subs
Family Night is back! Our friends across the street at Sandbar Subs hosted several fun events last year for families, and they’re back this summer with more creative and fun ideas.
This week, join us for hermit crab races at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 7. Sandbar Subs installed a “crabitat” several weeks ago that is home to a number of hermit crabs. Kids are fascinated with them. On Thursday, they’ll host crab races with the in-house crabs, or you can bring your own hermit crabs.
Dave’s little boy is especially excited for this event! Two new hermit crabs recently joined the family—they were a birthday gift for mama from Peach and her grandkids. Stop by on Thursday to see how Jojo and the second crab (yet to be named) stack up to the competition.
RSVP on Facebook for the races, and you can also watch a cute video by some of Peach’s grandkids to learn more about hermit crabs.
by Debbi | Jul 30, 2014 | Birthday Party, Events, Sandbar Subs
Help celebrate our 25th birthday!
That’s right, your favorite dive has been serving up tropical drinks in downtown Lawrence for 25 years now, and for the past five years we’ve celebrated our birthday every August with a giant block party in the street.
This year, the party gets even bigger! Join us for TWO NIGHTS—yes, two nights!— of live music, lots of beer, and more fun than people should be allowed to have.
Here’s all the details:
Friday, August 8
- Celebrate Sandbar Subs World Headquarters’ first anniversary in downtown Lawrence
- Live music from Heavy Petty and Sellout!
- RSVP on Facebook and invite your friends
Saturday, August 9
- Party with the Sandbar for our 25th birthday
- Live music from Blue Orleans and Lost Wax
- Giant inflatable pirate slide
- Appearances by Captain Jack Sparrow and Barbossa
- RSVP on Facebook and invite your friends
Both nights will feature a beer garden in the street in front of the bar. The cover charge for the beer garden is $5 each night, and you have to be 21 or older to come in.
However, the event itself is family-friendly, so you’re welcome to bring kids and lawn chairs and hang out outside of the beer garden, too.
We can’t wait for the greatest weekend of the summer, and we hope you’ll join us!
Photo credit: Jenn Hethcoat
by Debbi | Sep 6, 2013 | Events, Good Things, Sandbar Subs
If you’re like some of us– and I’m talking about some of us who have been around the Sandbar longer than, say, some of our more recently-hired staff members– you have fond memories of drive-in movie theaters from when you were a kid.
Did you know that they’re in danger of disappearing? Since the film industry has gone digital, many theaters can’t afford the $80,000 price tag that the digital upgrade costs.
Honda, the car company, has stepped in to help– they’re going to donate five projectors and the public vote decides which drive in gets them.
Our local Jack Ellena Honda dealership is hosting an event next Friday, Sept. 13, that celebrates this event with fun for the whole family: a pop-up drive-in movie theater.
They’ll host a free screening of “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” at 7 p.m. out at their dealership.
Click here for more details.
What does this have to do with us, and why are we talking about it? Well, we like movies…after all, our founder Peach does own a movie theater down the road in Ottawa.
And, Sandbar Subs is stepping up to help save the drive-ins. They’ll be serving Sandbar Subs beach dogs, chips and cookies at the event. Dogs and cookies are $2; chips are $1. Proceeds will benefit the cause!
If you’d like to help save the Midway Drive-in in Osawatomie, you can text VOTE86 to 444999, click here to make a donation or show up at next Friday’s event.
Help us spread the word, will you? Drive-in theaters are an iconic part of our history and an experience that everyone should get to enjoy as they grow up.
RSVP for the event on Facebook and share it with your friends!
by Debbi | Sep 5, 2013 | Sandbar Subs
Our new neighbor across the street, the Sandbar Subs World Headquarters, has been open for almost a month now and business seems to be brisk.
If you haven’t stopped by to check it out, you should– it’s not just a sandwich shop (although the sandwiches and wraps are delicious!) but also a place you can stop and get a fountain drink, a cell phone charger or a bottle of Advil.
Remember Round Corner? For you newbies, it was a drugstore on the corner of 8th and Mass, where Italian restaurant Intorno now sits. Round Corner was an old-fashioned drugstore that also housed the Cheese Shoppe, one of Dave’s favorite former restaurants downtown.
Well, personally, the new Sandbar Subs reminds me of a cross between the two. Think convenience store plus quick, quality food.
We aren’t the only ones who think so. Our Twitter friend Mrs. Mass recently paid a visit across the street and wrote about her experience for the Lawrence Journal-World.
Favorite quote:
“Did I say this sub shop is going to do wonders for downtown? … This sub shop is going to do wonders for downtown.”
You can read the full article here. Apologies in advance if you have to answer weird Google survey questions in order to read the story– we promise it’s worth it!
by Debbi | Jul 24, 2013 | Birthday Party, Sandbar Subs
The Sandbar, a downtown beach bar, has been a staple on the Lawrence bar scene since 1989. A little over a decade ago, Sandbar founder Peach started dabbling with the idea of expansion.
“The subs story started when I found out that most downtowns would not allow a bar to go in without food sales,” she said. Overland Park and other similar towns—including Lawrence– have zoning regulations to prevent the same type business.
Longtime bartender and manager David Johanning agreed to take over the responsibility of the Lawrence bar while Peach explored expansion options. This was during the time the Legends shopping center in nearby Kansas City was under construction. “We were asked to participate in the original Legends plan,” Peach said, “but realized we were not experienced enough at that time to handle such volume.”
The small town of Ottawa, close to home, was a great place to test ideas and concepts. Peach opened a second Sandbar location that was a restaurant and bar (click here to read more stories about the Ottawa adventures) and enjoyed it, but she knew it wasn’t quite the right match.
During this time, the Madls became friends with the Zaremba family of Zarco66. The Zarembas had just bought a store in Ottawa, and Scott and his family often came into the restaurant on wing night.
A downtown Ottawa sub shop without table service was the next effort, and boy it worked. It was great fun, Scott came down and enjoyed the food and a partnership was born. We now have three Sandbar Sub Shops inside Zarco66 convenience stores in Lawrence and Ottawa.
The Sandbar Subs World Headquarters is slated to open in August, right across the street from the original Sandbar, along with a new location of Peoples Bank.
Now how did the relationship with Peoples Bank happen?
Peach explains, “Well, back in the old days, banks would sometimes be ‘not nice.’ My husband and I had the opportunity to buy the building the original Sandbar bar was in. However, I was rejected by a bank my accountant referred me to– because ‘you receive the majority of your income from the sale of alcohol and we are a family owned bank.’”
Their regular bank wouldn’t loan money for properties outside of Baldwin City. So one day Ted said, “Hey, I have a cousin who’s a banker, let me call her!”
“That’s when I met Maley Wilkins of Peoples Bank, and she took great care of us.”
Another connection to Peoples Bank comes by way of the Winter family, who are well-known around the Lawrence area.
“When we first got the Crystal Plaza Theater in 2005, it was struggling, “ Peach said. Peoples Bank kept sponsoring events and coming by and supporting us in many ways in Ottawa. The late Wint Winter, Sr., who was chairman of Peoples Inc., was a wonderful man and he is honored at the Plaza Grill and Cinema with a picture on the Wall of LOCAL Stars in the lobby.
As for the new Sandbar Subs World Headquarters/Peoples Bank adventure in downtown Lawrence?
Peach says it came about when Scott and Maley spent time talking instead of listening to speakers at a Chamber event and came up with this wonderful plan.
“And Ted and I said ‘we’re in!’” said Peach.
Usually, this is where they say the rest is history, but in this case, the next chapter is just beginning.
Be sure to join us on August 10 for the big block party bash! Click here for more info.
by Debbi | Jul 16, 2013 | Sandbar Subs
Awhile back, we told you about the new Sandbar Sub Shop that's opening across the street from us, in the former Mirth Cafe location.
Peach has hired a manager for the new shop, but now she needs more fun people to help open this new business.
Employee Open House
Want to learn more? Join us for an open house and get all your questions answered!
- Monday, July 29
- 4-7 p.m.
- Sandbar Subs World Headquarters, 745 New Hampshire
Peach is looking for fun
people with food service skills to work at the new shop. If you want to
be part of a growing business that provides great food and excellent
service in a fun environment, we want to meet you!
Training would begin immediately. Well, probably not that night, but very soon after!
Click here to download the job application.
Print the application and bring it with you to the open house or email it to andrew@thesandbar.com. If you can't make it to the open house, that's okay! Just email your app to Andrew.
Even if you're not looking for a job, you probably have a friend who is. Please share this information with anyone you think may be interested!
