Linden’s Brewing Company gets lucky
Linden’s Brewing Co. remains empty and anchored along Linden
Street in Old Town Fort Collins, but thanks to the luck of the
Irish, the 22-year-old Fort Collins namesake is be rescued and set
back to sail in March.
In time for Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations, the new Linden’s,
214 S. Linden St., will reopen as Conor O’ Neill’s Irish Pub. The
business owners will serve “pub food with an American twist,”
focusing on import beers, said Colm O’ Neill, co-owner of the new
Irish pub.
“As far as we are concerned, the deal is done,” O’ Neill
said.
Larimer County tax officials forced the early shutdown of
Linden’s in October when the bar and eatery failed to pay property
taxes. The building has been on market since mid-December.
“We are waiting for the final closing,” said Ed Stoner,
president of Old Town Square Properties Inc., the broker
representing Tommy Short, the building’s partial owner.
Short opened Linden’s in 1982 and put the business’s assets on
the market for $450,000 through Old Town Square Properties Inc.
O’Neil, an immigrant who moved from Ireland 10 years ago, said
he plans to have his business open in the beginning of March and
will strive to make it a popular facet in the Fort Collins’
downtown area. O’Neill and his business partner, Tom Murray, plan
to emphasize their pub’s Irish flare and also book a variety of
live shows throughout the week.
“The thing that amazed me about Linden’s was not only the
building but also the inside,” O’Neill said, impressed with the
room, structure and stage within the building.
Stoner said the building is a hot commodity, especially when
nearly $2 million was spent on improving its inside a couple years
ago.
“It is a great location and mainstay. It is a very elegant bar,”
Stoner said.
Stoner said other bidders were in the running for the property,
but the pub beat them out. He would not disclose the other parties
involved but stressed an official closing has not yet taken
place.
Conor O’ Neill’s has locations in both Boulder and Ann Arbor,
Mich. The pub is designed primarily to attract college students,
O’Neill said.
Despite Fort Collins’ struggling economy, O’Neill said he is
optimistic his business will work and although Linden’s has been
owned by numerous owners over the years, the name change and new
business concepts are sure to help keep it afloat, he said.
“We wouldn’t be trying it if it wouldn’t work,” O’Neill said,
who has been co-owner of his pubs for six years.
Some college students in Boulder find the pub a fun place to
hang out and appreciate the authentic feel.
“O’Neils is just cool and laid-back. The drinks are cultural and
the atmosphere is all Irish,” said Sarah Walters, a resident of
Boulder who was relaxing at the pub on Tuesday.
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