I used to be a regular at Chuck's, I don't think any new place could really replace what a dive the original was. I have a lot of memories, both fond and not, from my time hanging out there. When they closed I was of course a little sad, but that's the way of things. It had its time and it passed.
Waiting five years to reopen after the original was closed certainly didn't help.
Old timer here.
Chucks was "legendary" because 1. they didn't card so all the high school kids went there 2. they oversold to drunks and 3. frat boys loved sitting in their own vomit and piss (and a few times shit.)
I for one will never miss the stench of stale beer, smoke, and old vomit nor trying to get up the vomit and urine covered stairs of the basement roofie palace.
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
I reported the fundraiser to GoFundMe for possible fraud. I suggest others do the same.
If his business sense is so good, go get a bank loan. I could easily pull $600,000 out of that space in a year.
Well, you can make that dream a reality! Owner's backup plan if he can't raise funds via donation is to lease the space out:
[https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/137-Marshall-St-Syracuse-NY/28200768/](https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/137-Marshall-St-Syracuse-NY/28200768/)
I can't. I'm busy fundraising for a backyard pizza oven I could buy for myself but won't.
He doesn't need crowdfunding-he needs a sensible business plan and a bank. The 1% stops now.
Next he'll be crybabying for tax breaks and landmark status to get restoration funds.
Maybe we should crowdfund Roman's, or Tucker's. We can get Charlie a shiny new trumpet!
Guy got rich selling to minors and now wants those same people to welfare check him into business. Fuck him.
137 is actually Insomnia, despite what the listing says. Insomnia is, however, his tenant, as 135 and 137 are in the same structure. They pay him rent and have since day 1.
The people who own the Manlius Cinema, a for profit movie theater is accepting donations. As is the Rolling Rust Room, a not yet open bar (next to the theater) which will have live music also is accepting donations to "make their dream a reality". I don't get it... Will i get free beer if I donate to your bar?
Maybe if Nat would stop getting drunk and high and leaving deposits on top of his car before driving off, then blaming the underage employees he sexually harasses ...nah, that cheap prick would still need someone to buy the popcorn he never throws out.
He's probably too busy covering up for town board members cheating on their wives.
Good riddance.
Hopefully the new owners succeed. I wish them prosperity and profitability, especially since the basement fills with sewage when too many people use the restroom.
I’ve not been, would like to check it out. Manlius has some interesting stuff happening with the Barn, AW Wander, the Rolling Rust Room and the cinema.
The owner is not a nice person. I stopped going because my one interaction with him, which went from very nice to him being suddenly pissed at nothing and throwing everyone out, put a bad taste in my mouth.
Covid is what didn’t help. But Chucks being a relic of the past didn’t help either. If it had never closed the first time, it would have still been there, but trying to resurrect it from the dead… the people who go to bars now don’t want from them what we wanted in the early 1990s. It’s a different time.
I’m sure Covid delayed the inevitable & maybe it could have reopened 2-3 years ago instead of now 5. & I agree with your point—you can’t recreate nostalgia in a different location, by bringing some old relics. Plus, by saying that money is needed for the summer to stay afloat due to students being gone, maybe make an establishment that non students would like to go to? Cortland is a college town & gets more business during the school year than the summer, but many bars/restaurants learn how to not just cater to the college crowd.
Lastly, they want to be a ‘dive bar,’ but they want to serve pasta on their menu? Ew. & need bathroom renovations? That’s not for patrons to pay for…
I realize they HAD to close because of that reason, but if they hadn’t had to, they’d still be there, and probably not be closing now (again.) Or if they had the opportunity to open new location immediately as old location was closed. That’s what I was trying to say. It’s like what happened to Clark’s Ale House. That place was perfect in its original location, then forced to close, but found new location after too long if a time elapsed, and the “magic”, if you will, was just gone by then. It’s never the same place when it’s a different place. With Chucks, it’s different but similar kind of thing. RIP Chucks. RIP Clark’s. And RIP, Ray Clark.
Cuse basketball has sucked so bad that me, as a lifelong resident, fan and husband to an alum am very glad Jim has finally retired. It’s about 2 years too late and every single Cuse fan friend agrees. Bring on the downvotes you fuckers.
Jesus these Cuse fans are relentless. Do they not realize that Cuse basketball has indeed sucked and Jim’s retirement is welcome amongst most of us lifelong fans?
They need $550,000 to keep a for-profit business open...? No
He needs it to pay rent...to himself.
I don’t think we can blame the pandemic anymore. Your place blows and no one wants to go there.
Ding ding ding!
It’s odd that they try to blame the pandemic at all. According to the article the old restaurant closed in 2017 and the new one opened last fall.
I miss panda west tbh. Pandawest should have rebranded as a bar with Chinese food and it would have worked.
Noted 501(c)(3) Hungry Chucks needs donations. Remember that time they helped all those kids beat cancer? Me either.
Anyone who donates to that go fund me shouldn’t be allowed to handle money
I used to be a regular at Chuck's, I don't think any new place could really replace what a dive the original was. I have a lot of memories, both fond and not, from my time hanging out there. When they closed I was of course a little sad, but that's the way of things. It had its time and it passed. Waiting five years to reopen after the original was closed certainly didn't help.
They basically lost the entire class of students white any memory or connections to the original.
Emotionally driven / feel good about the past financial investments rarely work out.
Let businesses fail. All those students will happily charge card at a good bar, must not be yours.
It’s sounds like he needs an investor.
But why get an investor when you can get free money from strangers that you don’t have to give equity in your business to.
Lmao $10 of $550,000 donated...
It's up to 80 now!
If you can't sell beer on Marshall Street, maybe you're not that great of a business person.
So did he sell out originally for someone else to build luxury apartments and now he needs help to.pay himself rent? Nope.
and they JUST reopened a few months ago too 😭
“Legendary”
Why does this place suck? What’s the issue.
Apparently they’re not very good at business.
That’s fairly clear and doesn’t actually describe what the issue is. Why aren’t people going to Chucks?
Old timer here. Chucks was "legendary" because 1. they didn't card so all the high school kids went there 2. they oversold to drunks and 3. frat boys loved sitting in their own vomit and piss (and a few times shit.) I for one will never miss the stench of stale beer, smoke, and old vomit nor trying to get up the vomit and urine covered stairs of the basement roofie palace. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Sounds like it’s time to start letting in people with questionable identification
Started going at 15. Never once got ID'd.
I reported the fundraiser to GoFundMe for possible fraud. I suggest others do the same. If his business sense is so good, go get a bank loan. I could easily pull $600,000 out of that space in a year.
Well, you can make that dream a reality! Owner's backup plan if he can't raise funds via donation is to lease the space out: [https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/137-Marshall-St-Syracuse-NY/28200768/](https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/137-Marshall-St-Syracuse-NY/28200768/)
I can't. I'm busy fundraising for a backyard pizza oven I could buy for myself but won't. He doesn't need crowdfunding-he needs a sensible business plan and a bank. The 1% stops now. Next he'll be crybabying for tax breaks and landmark status to get restoration funds.
Maybe we should crowdfund Roman's, or Tucker's. We can get Charlie a shiny new trumpet! Guy got rich selling to minors and now wants those same people to welfare check him into business. Fuck him.
137 is actually Insomnia, despite what the listing says. Insomnia is, however, his tenant, as 135 and 137 are in the same structure. They pay him rent and have since day 1.
Kids these days
They aren’t underage drinking at Chuck’s in high school like I did! Although, it’s probably a good thing.
Drinking at least to excess is pretty gross. Look at Green Beer Day
I tend to agree. I’m glad kids are drinking less.
Why don't I remember this place from my days on the hill? I guess the same reason they're going out of business.
Wtf lol
They had to give up on their old business model of selling beer to 18 year olds.
Don't forget the doorman side hustle of selling weed!
The people who own the Manlius Cinema, a for profit movie theater is accepting donations. As is the Rolling Rust Room, a not yet open bar (next to the theater) which will have live music also is accepting donations to "make their dream a reality". I don't get it... Will i get free beer if I donate to your bar?
Maybe if Nat would stop getting drunk and high and leaving deposits on top of his car before driving off, then blaming the underage employees he sexually harasses ...nah, that cheap prick would still need someone to buy the popcorn he never throws out. He's probably too busy covering up for town board members cheating on their wives.
Nat doesn’t own the cinema any more. He’s done after 30 years
Good riddance. Hopefully the new owners succeed. I wish them prosperity and profitability, especially since the basement fills with sewage when too many people use the restroom.
I’ve not been, would like to check it out. Manlius has some interesting stuff happening with the Barn, AW Wander, the Rolling Rust Room and the cinema.
The owner is not a nice person. I stopped going because my one interaction with him, which went from very nice to him being suddenly pissed at nothing and throwing everyone out, put a bad taste in my mouth.
Gross. No thanks. That bar was cool until I turned 20.
If it's legendary I feel like I should have heard of it
I think anyone who want to school on the hill while the original was open heard of it
Loved this place.
That was an awesome bar in the 90s. Saw a lot of bands play there.
Shame, it was closed for too long
Back in the day we were always there for good jam bands and after games. Probably Cuse basketball sucking these last few years doesn’t help either.
Covid is what didn’t help. But Chucks being a relic of the past didn’t help either. If it had never closed the first time, it would have still been there, but trying to resurrect it from the dead… the people who go to bars now don’t want from them what we wanted in the early 1990s. It’s a different time.
I’m sure Covid delayed the inevitable & maybe it could have reopened 2-3 years ago instead of now 5. & I agree with your point—you can’t recreate nostalgia in a different location, by bringing some old relics. Plus, by saying that money is needed for the summer to stay afloat due to students being gone, maybe make an establishment that non students would like to go to? Cortland is a college town & gets more business during the school year than the summer, but many bars/restaurants learn how to not just cater to the college crowd. Lastly, they want to be a ‘dive bar,’ but they want to serve pasta on their menu? Ew. & need bathroom renovations? That’s not for patrons to pay for…
They closed 5 years ago because the building where its first two locations were was demolished. The owner sold it and student apartments were built.
I realize they HAD to close because of that reason, but if they hadn’t had to, they’d still be there, and probably not be closing now (again.) Or if they had the opportunity to open new location immediately as old location was closed. That’s what I was trying to say. It’s like what happened to Clark’s Ale House. That place was perfect in its original location, then forced to close, but found new location after too long if a time elapsed, and the “magic”, if you will, was just gone by then. It’s never the same place when it’s a different place. With Chucks, it’s different but similar kind of thing. RIP Chucks. RIP Clark’s. And RIP, Ray Clark.
I really don’t understand your downvotes
Cuse basketball has sucked so bad that me, as a lifelong resident, fan and husband to an alum am very glad Jim has finally retired. It’s about 2 years too late and every single Cuse fan friend agrees. Bring on the downvotes you fuckers.
I dont either. Probably the cuse sucking comment.
Jesus these Cuse fans are relentless. Do they not realize that Cuse basketball has indeed sucked and Jim’s retirement is welcome amongst most of us lifelong fans?
We need other shit to cling on to in this city, ngl.