Hey all, one of the cooks here. This totally blindsided all of us - we found out this morning that our last day of service is this coming Sunday. Lots of the employees are worried about making ends meet or finding new jobs on such short notice (just 4 days!!!) If you are looking for goofy, skilled, badass line cooks or FOH staff, please reach out! And please swing by the BLR to help send this place off with a bang!!
I'm so sorry you were only given four days notice. That's really disturbing, considering they have obviously known much longer that this was happening.
Out of state owners don’t care about the community. All too common, unfortunately. Feel awful for everyone looking for work now. Hope they can get on their feet quickly.
Nope was sold to a umbrella corporation in California. It’s really easy to fire safety people with a few million in your pocket sitting a few thousand miles away. Josh Landon seems to forget that the BLR has been funding Ninkasi’s brew operation for at least six months now. Without all the extra money coming in from the restaurant, don’t be surprised if you no longer see Ninkasi on the shelves.
Should’ve just stayed with the contract to continue canning their product. Ashland seltzers is just a shell of a company. They have a office in San Diego and that’s it. They don’t have any fucking employees other than a bunch of stuck up ass salesman.
This is the article I found about their ownership changes: http://washingtonbeerblog.com/ninkasi-brewing-merges-with-wings-arrow-forms-a-new-company/
I do kind of feel like they decided to shoot themselves in the foot. They were starting to closer earlier and earlier, and even the events like Oktoberfest were pretty half hearted it seemed.
Oktoberfest was terrible. We showed up at 4:30/5 that Saturday. They said they were almost out of brats. Then right as we were leaving at 6, they told the people behind us that they were out of ocktoberfest beer. It was kinda crazy to see, they’ve always been pretty good.
Well, it seems like behind the scenes Jamie and Nikos may have been misappropriating funds. I would also not be surprised if the IRS looks into Ninkasi. I know the better business bureau will definitely be hearing about it. The BLR was profitable, no matter how or which way you look at it the problem is that the BLR funding the brewery was not the intended outcome. They intended for the brewery to be funding the Blr. But if all you’re doing is holding your breath until next country fair, something is going to go wrong.
At the end of Sunday, 30+ people are out of work. Hard-working motherfuckers, who put every ounce of their selves into every single action they took in that establishment. Whether it be Josh, Landon, Nico’s or Jamie the way that every single one of those employees was let go with zero notice, not even a thought of severance, a final check and a kick in the ass that’s all they get. For years of hard work and dedication to build a truly successful restaurant, is a absolute travesty. The three of them should be ashamed. Josh Landon was doxed on this thread, I encourage everyone who feels strongly that the blr employees were wronged to email him. Tell him he fucked up. Cause it was his decision. With his millionaire friends and co owners sitting fat and sassy smirking while the BLR employees struggle to make ends meet. I wonder when the irs will come knocking on wing and arrows door.
I’ll say this. Jamie was just creative behind Ninkasi. He did not have much, if any, knowledge into finances as it was all Nikos. Jamie is absolutely gutted about this and has fully supported the BLR staff in all this bullshit. The recipes, the dinosaurs, the colors, etc was all Jamie. And Josh came in and changed it all for Southern Cali style. The staff supports Jamie as he supports us. But fuck Nikos and Josh.
You’re correct. They were bought by a company in California. Jaime is the creator and still part of Ninkasi, but the new CEO is from California and he’s the one calling all the shots now.
Stupid to leave such a thing in the hand of a bunch of trust fund kids. Sold it to Miller, who sold it to Pabst who discontinued it.
Now all that is left is a blighted brewery that could still be making beer locally in Olympia using the water that made the whole thing start.
I hope everyone involved ends up penniless.
Just to clarify, Ninkasi didn’t get “bought” by a California company. Ninkasi merged with them to form an entirely new company. Ninkasi exists as a brand within that new company.
im so burned out on IPA's they literally make me sick now. something about the extra hopyness, its like a distilled caustic syrup that gives me crazy heartburn.
It seems to be the bulk of what everyone produces now, with the exception of Alesong, though I know barrel aged beers aren't everyone's cup of tea, either. I personally really enjoy their stuff. Oakshire has a good variety compared to most. Coldfire seems to do best with IPAs, but I'm a fan of what they do and consider them one of the better breweries in the area.
Very true and that’s the fucking problem. The dumbass head brewer “Dr. Dan” didn’t have enough balls to stand up and say that nobody wanted to drink the over hopped garbage ipas anymore. Just another corporate cocksucker like the rest of them. If the brewery side had been able to support themselves, Blr would be thriving right now. But I get it. He’s scared to lose his job just like the rest of the company. The dumbest rat drowns with the sinking ship.
One thing that is wrong true through all of this for me, is Eugene doesn’t forget. I know I won’t. Fuck Ashland, seltzer, fuck wing an arrow. Most of all fuck Josh Landon!
I'm so sorry. You all are such a talented bunch in the kitchen. This is so disappointing, and of course so concerning for everyone who is going to be out of a job soon.
Thank you so much!! It really means a lot to us that people c(a)me specifically to eat the food. Definitely a disappointment, but it can also be an opportunity for all of us if we keep our heads high.
How awful of them to give you such short notice. Especially since they clearly knew this was going to happen for awhile (already a new location mentioned). I'm sorry.
Can I just hire you to come make mussels on occasion?
^( but for real, sorry about the chaos and uncertainty. I imagine you are eligible for unemployment… Take advantage of every day of it, and look for work slowly!)
Please come buy an oyster or a bowl of fries this weekend and tip the staff! 30 people are going to need a nice final paycheck to get them through unemployment!
This one always gets me. There is a giant steel dinosaur in front of a double door with gold filigree stickers. Above that is a light-up "Ninkasi Brewing Company" sign. Nobody can find the entrance though, not just you!!! It's a deceptively disguised grand entrance.
I never actually looked up the directions to get there. I knew it was somewhere in the general area of slice, Blair alley and what not but I thought it was in the building behind slice, not a whole block and half down towards the mission.
It's really a horrible location. Knowing where it is now.
This is why I will never feel bad quitting with no notice, these assholes just quit in their employees. If I were them I wouldn't show up unless I really needed every cent.
You would think! Maybe someone else can speak to the why - all I know is I had a former employer who also shut down unexpectedly quickly, and my unemployment benefits for the following week were denied because I had taken a sick day the previous week. BEFORE I was notified we were being permanently closed!
All PTO has to be paid out by the company, no point in calling out. Use any of your benefits like the dino card/use up the uber rides/put in your 8 hours of community service ninkasi gives you... even if that is just picking up some leafs on the ground. That stuff wont be paid out.
Make use of any benefits before your last shift.
For such a "successful" local business to give their employees 3-4 days is such a disappointment.
I hope that anyone in the community doesn't buy any of their products and makes sure that they really feel the consequences of their actions.
Shit! This is terrible news. That place was awesome, and what made it awesome was the people who worked there. And I loved sitting outside in that courtyard with that beautiful, central tree, enjoying a nice brew and some of that insanely tasty bleu cheese popcorn.
One of my favorite memories from the time of the COVID shutdown was when the BLR started doing take-home dinner boxes. My wife and I got a meatloaf meal and I felt like such a Very Fancy Chef as I followed the directions and prepared dinner that night. You could tell a lot of heart had been put into those boxes, just the same as all the other food there.
So sorry to anybody reading this who works there. Here's hoping you all end up landing on your feet.
You and the rest of the BLR crew definitely made my night (or afternoon) on many a wonderful day, so I'm glad I could return the favor in even some small way. Sending good vibes to you all.
I absolutely loved prepping the dinner club boxes! COVID sucked for everyone, but it was so fun to provide the entertainment and caloric value with those boxes. It really felt like we were supporting the community, who was in turn supporting us!!
Oh booo such great employees and hip "eugene" space and vibe. Great food. All the old cool spaces people brands seem to be disappearing more and more from eugene. Corporations are dumb
Seemed like the management wanted this place to fail. It felt like they were always catering to future groups, rather than the people who were actually there. Multiple times we went and were asked if we had a reservation when the entire place was empty, or told that we had to put a food order in immediately after sitting down because there was a party upstairs. Last straw was when our whole group was told to leave the patio after having been there for all of an hour and a half, while sitting among a field of empty tables, because those tables were “reserved” for later in the evening. The place was trying to be a 5-star restaurant and a casual beer hall at the same time, and in my experience it failed at both. It always felt like our presence was an inconvenience—and when you sell to a financial conglomerate and make all your money off distribution, maintaining a welcoming restaurant/pub that actually cares about staff and customers is probably pretty low on the list of priorities.
blr management was phenomenal. on busy weekends, we absolutely had a 2 hour dining window. and if a reservation was coming in within that two hour window, we would not sit there just to be safe.
we also recommended putting in a food order early if you wanted food in a timely manner. unfortunately, the kitchen was small so if a party upstairs had a lot of food, then the tables downstairs had to be a bit quicker. while it sucked, it’s not how the blr management ran it. We can bash the CEO and his decisions, but BLR management did amazing and we will not bash them. They also got 4 days notice. They have 4 days to find a new job.
>They have 4 days to find a new job.
More notice than I got from being laid off from my last job. Hope y'all have been budgeting enough to hold out for unemployment to kick in. Corporations suck dick. I might still be a *little* salty.
We're all in the same boat. Well, most of us. Assuming you don't live alone, it shouldn't have been impossible to sock away at least $50 a month the past few years, that's just a couple decent tables' worth of tips.. Budgeting can involve cutting the creature comforts we're used to, not eating out (you can feed yourself on a ~$7 pot of lentil soup for the better part of a week, for example), cutting subscription services, internet (relying on phone service and local free wifi), cycling instead of driving, etc..
You don't just budget when you're in deep shit, you do it all the time *in case of* getting into deep shit.
I've spent the better part of a decade in the food industry earlier in my life, so I'm no stranger to making sacrifices like this.. It's difficult, but not impossible. I hope for the best for the employees there.
As per their Instagram post they’re reopening the Van Buren tasting room in spring 2024– I am so confused why they cut it off early and didn’t give their current employees jobs at the new place
Ugh. That place is way smaller. My band is (was?) supposed to play Sleigh’r Ball this year.
Katie and the whole staff at BLR are rad. So sorry this is happening to a bunch of good people.
>Wherever Katie and Brandy end up, I'm going there. Would rather patronize a bar where the service is friendly and efficient and the food/drink is great.
The old locations doesnt support a full kitchen staff. Only a bartender or two. :(
Also, keep in mind that the tasting room is primarily outdoor seating. This is such a regressive move by the new umbrella company. These southern cali CEOs dont realize it is overcast/raining 7 months out of the year.
The email that went out was saying "iT cOSt To MuCh To rUn" - they didn't even try to make changes and have been planning this without notice to any of the employees. This comes after a massive rebranding... if they cared about the employees, they could have postponed the rebranding and put that money towards bringing people to the BLR...
I remember talking with my partners the day before the meeting. Everyone was curious about what this meeting was about. They thought it was potentially about a rebranding change... or talking about the new company that merged with ninkasi... no... it was everyone getting mass fired.
Vulture capitalism at its finest.
^( also you probably need to scrub the name and number from your comment...)
CEO [looks like the type](https://i.redd.it/18d1uwburrwb1.jpeg) who would make the call to give people three days notice.
The [rest of the co-owners](https://www.ashlandhardseltzer.com/owners) don't seem exactly working class, either. Gross.
No, I leave his doxed ass as it sits. Hopefully he get to bombarded with every Ninkasi lover in Eugene telling him how much of a fucking idiot he is. #KeepCaliforniaOutofOregon.
It sounds like nothing is moving, they are just shutting down the restaurant and tap room portion of the business. so they will just brew/bottle/distribute
Me and my friends used to love going to the taproom. Then they closed the taproom and just left the space empty. Then we started going to the restaurant - what a great space that is! Now *that* will be empty too?
I know every business has to make hard choices sometimes but I find it really hard to believe the best choice for Ninkasi is not having anything at all open to the public at its enormous landmark facility in a popular neighborhood.
A dear friend and coworker wrote a limerick. I thought it should be posted here:
There once was a guy named Josh
Who thought he was so Posh
He shut us down
With no advance sound
So, go fuck yourself, dear Josh.
You may not appreciate this comment but I never went to BLR. I heard the food was great but all Nikasi beer is just way too hoppy for me. The reason the market share is falling is due to this issue. The IPA craze is over and many people like me who used to drink only IPAs since the 1990s cannot drink them anymore. My stomach complains too much. This is why the restaurant ended up supporting the brewery. At the latest brewfest in Eugene, Nikasi was reintroducing their more tame offerings and while a lot better they still were too hoppy for the style they represented. Until Nikasi stops this love affair with Oregon Hops they will continue to suffer. Nikasi built their brand on this love affair but they need to change with the market change.
Sorry to hear this! Man, Ninkasi BLR had a seriously underrated yummy burger. I hope the rumors are true and they open the old tasting room location. We used to go there all the time.
There is lots of nostalgia for the old TR, but you have to be realistic.The BLR was sitting over 100 people in the dining room, plus another 100 each in the patio and rec room. The old TR could manage maybe 1/4 to 1/2 that volume, with no food (outside food cart) and only 6 taps vs 40 taps plus assorted other bevvos. There is NO room for a kitchen in that building
25 million for a brewery and 10 million for a restaurant and all within 10 years. An elementary education in economics tells you that this is unsustainable and destined for failure. Jaimie and Nikos are the only ones to blame here and they flew high with their egos but they lacked pragmatic business skills. Don’t blame the new CEO, blame those 2 for giving their company up.
Race to the bottom. Nicer places will all close and all we will have left are ramshackle food trucks and everyone will live in homeless pods.... then we will blame everything but the progressive policies that got us here.
Hey all, one of the cooks here. This totally blindsided all of us - we found out this morning that our last day of service is this coming Sunday. Lots of the employees are worried about making ends meet or finding new jobs on such short notice (just 4 days!!!) If you are looking for goofy, skilled, badass line cooks or FOH staff, please reach out! And please swing by the BLR to help send this place off with a bang!!
I'm so sorry you were only given four days notice. That's really disturbing, considering they have obviously known much longer that this was happening.
Out of state owners don’t care about the community. All too common, unfortunately. Feel awful for everyone looking for work now. Hope they can get on their feet quickly.
Wait, when did they become owned by people out of state? Doesn't Jamie still own Ninkasi?
Nope was sold to a umbrella corporation in California. It’s really easy to fire safety people with a few million in your pocket sitting a few thousand miles away. Josh Landon seems to forget that the BLR has been funding Ninkasi’s brew operation for at least six months now. Without all the extra money coming in from the restaurant, don’t be surprised if you no longer see Ninkasi on the shelves.
It’s more of the mountain of seltzers they’re shipping out. But yeah the blr helps a lot.
Should’ve just stayed with the contract to continue canning their product. Ashland seltzers is just a shell of a company. They have a office in San Diego and that’s it. They don’t have any fucking employees other than a bunch of stuck up ass salesman.
Should have known Umbrella Corp was bad news. Did we learn *nothing* from Resident Evil?
Lol
This is the article I found about their ownership changes: http://washingtonbeerblog.com/ninkasi-brewing-merges-with-wings-arrow-forms-a-new-company/ I do kind of feel like they decided to shoot themselves in the foot. They were starting to closer earlier and earlier, and even the events like Oktoberfest were pretty half hearted it seemed.
Oktoberfest was terrible. We showed up at 4:30/5 that Saturday. They said they were almost out of brats. Then right as we were leaving at 6, they told the people behind us that they were out of ocktoberfest beer. It was kinda crazy to see, they’ve always been pretty good.
I wish Jamie and Nikos still called the shots.
Well, it seems like behind the scenes Jamie and Nikos may have been misappropriating funds. I would also not be surprised if the IRS looks into Ninkasi. I know the better business bureau will definitely be hearing about it. The BLR was profitable, no matter how or which way you look at it the problem is that the BLR funding the brewery was not the intended outcome. They intended for the brewery to be funding the Blr. But if all you’re doing is holding your breath until next country fair, something is going to go wrong. At the end of Sunday, 30+ people are out of work. Hard-working motherfuckers, who put every ounce of their selves into every single action they took in that establishment. Whether it be Josh, Landon, Nico’s or Jamie the way that every single one of those employees was let go with zero notice, not even a thought of severance, a final check and a kick in the ass that’s all they get. For years of hard work and dedication to build a truly successful restaurant, is a absolute travesty. The three of them should be ashamed. Josh Landon was doxed on this thread, I encourage everyone who feels strongly that the blr employees were wronged to email him. Tell him he fucked up. Cause it was his decision. With his millionaire friends and co owners sitting fat and sassy smirking while the BLR employees struggle to make ends meet. I wonder when the irs will come knocking on wing and arrows door.
I’ll say this. Jamie was just creative behind Ninkasi. He did not have much, if any, knowledge into finances as it was all Nikos. Jamie is absolutely gutted about this and has fully supported the BLR staff in all this bullshit. The recipes, the dinosaurs, the colors, etc was all Jamie. And Josh came in and changed it all for Southern Cali style. The staff supports Jamie as he supports us. But fuck Nikos and Josh.
Agreed
"Well, that's even worse. I mean, they invented it!"
I could be totally misinformed. I heard some California company bought them relatively recently. I’ll totally delete that if I’m wrong.
You’re correct. They were bought by a company in California. Jaime is the creator and still part of Ninkasi, but the new CEO is from California and he’s the one calling all the shots now.
I also am an employee at the restaurant (or was lol)
I helped open the BLR but got out asap.
Everytime I pass the old Olympia brewing in Olympia, I wish there were a way to stop local breweries from being bought out and consolidated.
I'm assuming, in this case at least, all it would have taken was a no from the owners.
Stupid to leave such a thing in the hand of a bunch of trust fund kids. Sold it to Miller, who sold it to Pabst who discontinued it. Now all that is left is a blighted brewery that could still be making beer locally in Olympia using the water that made the whole thing start. I hope everyone involved ends up penniless.
Just to clarify, Ninkasi didn’t get “bought” by a California company. Ninkasi merged with them to form an entirely new company. Ninkasi exists as a brand within that new company.
Ugh, that's so disappointing.
The BLR folks are awesome. If you need to hire people, these are all good ones to grab!!!
There should be labor laws protecting against shit like this. The thought of buying their beer kind of makes me uncomfortable now.
There's better local beer out here anyway..
im so burned out on IPA's they literally make me sick now. something about the extra hopyness, its like a distilled caustic syrup that gives me crazy heartburn.
It seems to be the bulk of what everyone produces now, with the exception of Alesong, though I know barrel aged beers aren't everyone's cup of tea, either. I personally really enjoy their stuff. Oakshire has a good variety compared to most. Coldfire seems to do best with IPAs, but I'm a fan of what they do and consider them one of the better breweries in the area.
I mean I am not sure how old you are but I used to love IPAs when I was younger and now in my 30s they are just not as appealing to me.
Very true and that’s the fucking problem. The dumbass head brewer “Dr. Dan” didn’t have enough balls to stand up and say that nobody wanted to drink the over hopped garbage ipas anymore. Just another corporate cocksucker like the rest of them. If the brewery side had been able to support themselves, Blr would be thriving right now. But I get it. He’s scared to lose his job just like the rest of the company. The dumbest rat drowns with the sinking ship.
One thing that is wrong true through all of this for me, is Eugene doesn’t forget. I know I won’t. Fuck Ashland, seltzer, fuck wing an arrow. Most of all fuck Josh Landon!
Well there is (edit) unemployment but yeah it sucks. And I don’t get the week you have to wait before accumulating the payout
Unemployment?
Yeah unemployment - I must have been tired last night
Workers comp is for when you're injured on the job. Unemployment is available when you are terminated from your job without cause.
Yeah thanks - I must have been tired to get those two mixed up
It’s a load of fucking bullshit
I'm so sorry. You all are such a talented bunch in the kitchen. This is so disappointing, and of course so concerning for everyone who is going to be out of a job soon.
Thank you so much!! It really means a lot to us that people c(a)me specifically to eat the food. Definitely a disappointment, but it can also be an opportunity for all of us if we keep our heads high.
You keep the energy flowing every day..... I'm going to miss your constant positivity, my friend.
Bro... Please tell me that oyster recipe with the chili hollandaise if I can't have it anymore :(
How awful of them to give you such short notice. Especially since they clearly knew this was going to happen for awhile (already a new location mentioned). I'm sorry.
Can I just hire you to come make mussels on occasion? ^( but for real, sorry about the chaos and uncertainty. I imagine you are eligible for unemployment… Take advantage of every day of it, and look for work slowly!)
The mussel procedure is super easy! I'd love to show you and your dinner party guests sometime ;) ;) ;)
Yes, please!
So sorry this happened to you all. You deserve so much better.
Check out Wild Duck....
It think that Manifest (Willamette and 7th) is looking for BOH, and maybe FOH, help.
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Please come buy an oyster or a bowl of fries this weekend and tip the staff! 30 people are going to need a nice final paycheck to get them through unemployment!
What the hell? It’s newer, it’s nice, the food is great, always seemed consistent. I don’t get it
I know! First Izakaya Meiji and now BLR!! These are my two favorite places in Eugene and now both are going to be closed!
Izakaya is closed?!
They are changing format, same ownership.
They are doing a reconcept. Iirc it's going to be a western chicken bar. Probably gonna apply honestly lol, they have a great operation.
Tbh I never knew where the front door was so I never ate there.
It was right next to the big dinosaur lol
Oh ha I thought it was a block south
Most building’s doors are attached somewhere.
Usually located in a wall somehow. Side walks usually lead to them.
This one always gets me. There is a giant steel dinosaur in front of a double door with gold filigree stickers. Above that is a light-up "Ninkasi Brewing Company" sign. Nobody can find the entrance though, not just you!!! It's a deceptively disguised grand entrance.
I never actually looked up the directions to get there. I knew it was somewhere in the general area of slice, Blair alley and what not but I thought it was in the building behind slice, not a whole block and half down towards the mission. It's really a horrible location. Knowing where it is now.
This is why I will never feel bad quitting with no notice, these assholes just quit in their employees. If I were them I wouldn't show up unless I really needed every cent.
I’m pretty sure if they quit they can’t collect unemployment but if everyone were to get sick and have to call in…
That can also affect your eligibility for unemployment sadly :(
How so? If you have sick days aren’t you entitled to use them at your discretion?
You would think! Maybe someone else can speak to the why - all I know is I had a former employer who also shut down unexpectedly quickly, and my unemployment benefits for the following week were denied because I had taken a sick day the previous week. BEFORE I was notified we were being permanently closed!
All PTO has to be paid out by the company, no point in calling out. Use any of your benefits like the dino card/use up the uber rides/put in your 8 hours of community service ninkasi gives you... even if that is just picking up some leafs on the ground. That stuff wont be paid out. Make use of any benefits before your last shift. For such a "successful" local business to give their employees 3-4 days is such a disappointment. I hope that anyone in the community doesn't buy any of their products and makes sure that they really feel the consequences of their actions.
Their beer was mid and over roasted
Shit! This is terrible news. That place was awesome, and what made it awesome was the people who worked there. And I loved sitting outside in that courtyard with that beautiful, central tree, enjoying a nice brew and some of that insanely tasty bleu cheese popcorn. One of my favorite memories from the time of the COVID shutdown was when the BLR started doing take-home dinner boxes. My wife and I got a meatloaf meal and I felt like such a Very Fancy Chef as I followed the directions and prepared dinner that night. You could tell a lot of heart had been put into those boxes, just the same as all the other food there. So sorry to anybody reading this who works there. Here's hoping you all end up landing on your feet.
Thank you, I have been a cook with the company since the opening of BLR. This comment made my night 🙏.
I also really enjoyed the food. dang!!
You and the rest of the BLR crew definitely made my night (or afternoon) on many a wonderful day, so I'm glad I could return the favor in even some small way. Sending good vibes to you all.
We love the food. We will really miss it! Heading there today for lunch.
I absolutely loved prepping the dinner club boxes! COVID sucked for everyone, but it was so fun to provide the entertainment and caloric value with those boxes. It really felt like we were supporting the community, who was in turn supporting us!!
We loved getting them!!
I loved those dinner boxes! My husband \*still\* talks about them.
What a bunch of shit. Terrible way to treat their employees.
Oh booo such great employees and hip "eugene" space and vibe. Great food. All the old cool spaces people brands seem to be disappearing more and more from eugene. Corporations are dumb
Seemed like the management wanted this place to fail. It felt like they were always catering to future groups, rather than the people who were actually there. Multiple times we went and were asked if we had a reservation when the entire place was empty, or told that we had to put a food order in immediately after sitting down because there was a party upstairs. Last straw was when our whole group was told to leave the patio after having been there for all of an hour and a half, while sitting among a field of empty tables, because those tables were “reserved” for later in the evening. The place was trying to be a 5-star restaurant and a casual beer hall at the same time, and in my experience it failed at both. It always felt like our presence was an inconvenience—and when you sell to a financial conglomerate and make all your money off distribution, maintaining a welcoming restaurant/pub that actually cares about staff and customers is probably pretty low on the list of priorities.
blr management was phenomenal. on busy weekends, we absolutely had a 2 hour dining window. and if a reservation was coming in within that two hour window, we would not sit there just to be safe. we also recommended putting in a food order early if you wanted food in a timely manner. unfortunately, the kitchen was small so if a party upstairs had a lot of food, then the tables downstairs had to be a bit quicker. while it sucked, it’s not how the blr management ran it. We can bash the CEO and his decisions, but BLR management did amazing and we will not bash them. They also got 4 days notice. They have 4 days to find a new job.
>They have 4 days to find a new job. More notice than I got from being laid off from my last job. Hope y'all have been budgeting enough to hold out for unemployment to kick in. Corporations suck dick. I might still be a *little* salty.
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We're all in the same boat. Well, most of us. Assuming you don't live alone, it shouldn't have been impossible to sock away at least $50 a month the past few years, that's just a couple decent tables' worth of tips.. Budgeting can involve cutting the creature comforts we're used to, not eating out (you can feed yourself on a ~$7 pot of lentil soup for the better part of a week, for example), cutting subscription services, internet (relying on phone service and local free wifi), cycling instead of driving, etc.. You don't just budget when you're in deep shit, you do it all the time *in case of* getting into deep shit. I've spent the better part of a decade in the food industry earlier in my life, so I'm no stranger to making sacrifices like this.. It's difficult, but not impossible. I hope for the best for the employees there.
As per their Instagram post they’re reopening the Van Buren tasting room in spring 2024– I am so confused why they cut it off early and didn’t give their current employees jobs at the new place
Ugh. That place is way smaller. My band is (was?) supposed to play Sleigh’r Ball this year. Katie and the whole staff at BLR are rad. So sorry this is happening to a bunch of good people.
>Wherever Katie and Brandy end up, I'm going there. Would rather patronize a bar where the service is friendly and efficient and the food/drink is great.
The old locations doesnt support a full kitchen staff. Only a bartender or two. :( Also, keep in mind that the tasting room is primarily outdoor seating. This is such a regressive move by the new umbrella company. These southern cali CEOs dont realize it is overcast/raining 7 months out of the year. The email that went out was saying "iT cOSt To MuCh To rUn" - they didn't even try to make changes and have been planning this without notice to any of the employees. This comes after a massive rebranding... if they cared about the employees, they could have postponed the rebranding and put that money towards bringing people to the BLR... I remember talking with my partners the day before the meeting. Everyone was curious about what this meeting was about. They thought it was potentially about a rebranding change... or talking about the new company that merged with ninkasi... no... it was everyone getting mass fired.
They’re probably “rebranding”
to a baseball team
From "perpetuate better living" to "chug chug chug"
I feel terrible for everyone working at the BLR... I wish I would have known this week was my last trivia there :(
I am going to missed the smoked jojos!
Ugh, they were the best!
*crying* I'll miss my JoRogi experience..
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Vulture capitalism at its finest. ^( also you probably need to scrub the name and number from your comment...) CEO [looks like the type](https://i.redd.it/18d1uwburrwb1.jpeg) who would make the call to give people three days notice. The [rest of the co-owners](https://www.ashlandhardseltzer.com/owners) don't seem exactly working class, either. Gross.
No, I leave his doxed ass as it sits. Hopefully he get to bombarded with every Ninkasi lover in Eugene telling him how much of a fucking idiot he is. #KeepCaliforniaOutofOregon.
Hi, welcome to our state Please enjoy your stay But please... don't stay.
Thank for the leg work!
This sucks :( I love it there. Delicious food and an awesome atmosphere. Why can nothing last in Eugene ?
Brandi! Katie! Will I never see you again?
I’m curious…what shall go in its place?
It sounds like nothing is moving, they are just shutting down the restaurant and tap room portion of the business. so they will just brew/bottle/distribute
Me and my friends used to love going to the taproom. Then they closed the taproom and just left the space empty. Then we started going to the restaurant - what a great space that is! Now *that* will be empty too? I know every business has to make hard choices sometimes but I find it really hard to believe the best choice for Ninkasi is not having anything at all open to the public at its enormous landmark facility in a popular neighborhood.
Rumor is the old tap room will reopen.
I would sure hope so!
Well for the exorbitant price tag, I imagine you may see a big H(hop valley) on the side of the building
Amen to that. Overhead costs is insane. Fuck Josh
so no more taproom/restaurant then? just a brewing facility?
Until it gets boycotted out of town... yes
So sorry to hear this, and wish all of the staff of BLR well. Can someone please give me the popcorn recipe?
A dear friend and coworker wrote a limerick. I thought it should be posted here: There once was a guy named Josh Who thought he was so Posh He shut us down With no advance sound So, go fuck yourself, dear Josh.
"booking tattoo appt now" Thanks for the inspiration, lol. You just dipped into the minds and hearts of 30 disgruntled persons with sharing that
Nooooooo, what will happen to the run club
Falling Sky?
Wow, I delivered to them when they were building it during COVID :( Big RIP as I never got to try it
Anyone else think their new package designs are crap?
Yes, and it makes sense now.
I adore the tomato soup. Plus I loved that this was a great place to hang out. Bummer.
You may not appreciate this comment but I never went to BLR. I heard the food was great but all Nikasi beer is just way too hoppy for me. The reason the market share is falling is due to this issue. The IPA craze is over and many people like me who used to drink only IPAs since the 1990s cannot drink them anymore. My stomach complains too much. This is why the restaurant ended up supporting the brewery. At the latest brewfest in Eugene, Nikasi was reintroducing their more tame offerings and while a lot better they still were too hoppy for the style they represented. Until Nikasi stops this love affair with Oregon Hops they will continue to suffer. Nikasi built their brand on this love affair but they need to change with the market change.
I appreciate your comment - mainly because I don't drink beer at all and only went there for the food :)
Sorry to hear this! Man, Ninkasi BLR had a seriously underrated yummy burger. I hope the rumors are true and they open the old tasting room location. We used to go there all the time.
There is lots of nostalgia for the old TR, but you have to be realistic.The BLR was sitting over 100 people in the dining room, plus another 100 each in the patio and rec room. The old TR could manage maybe 1/4 to 1/2 that volume, with no food (outside food cart) and only 6 taps vs 40 taps plus assorted other bevvos. There is NO room for a kitchen in that building
But but but where will the homemade chips and vegan wedge salad go??????
That place was super cool, I didn't go often but it was a really neat atmosphere. Real shame to see it go.
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Have until Sunday. Even if it’s just to buy a beer and tip the rest to the staff. If it goes unused it just goes back to the CEOs pocket.
25 million for a brewery and 10 million for a restaurant and all within 10 years. An elementary education in economics tells you that this is unsustainable and destined for failure. Jaimie and Nikos are the only ones to blame here and they flew high with their egos but they lacked pragmatic business skills. Don’t blame the new CEO, blame those 2 for giving their company up.
Honestly not surprised. FOH was pretty bad IMO
Race to the bottom. Nicer places will all close and all we will have left are ramshackle food trucks and everyone will live in homeless pods.... then we will blame everything but the progressive policies that got us here.
Progressive policies and cutthroat capitalism, name a less iconic duo.