Bar Hop

[northyorksammy]

Many bars were closed or open late on Monday. That's why I messaged them a few days ahead on Facebook and they gave me the heads up for 4 pm.

[matt7215]

Ya gotta love a business that has a website that gives its opening times as 12:00 - 2:00 AM full kitchen Monday to Sunday. So I called on Monday as friends wanted to go there and I got the answering service that had the same message so the 3 of us trudged down at 1:30 only to find it closed with a piece of paper saying they are opening at 4:00. As I banged on the door a wait-staff opened the door only to say they are closed and 'have a nice day'. Well one more place I won't be spending my money...I am running out of establishments to go to....unless I want low rung.

you should really open your own place

[The Mick]

Just received a call from someone 'representing' Bar Hop..after explaining what happened I got the customary 'I'm sorry' I then received an explanation..'I didn't change the voice mail as I always screw it up and takes me 30 minutes to do'.
Perfect..take away the plight of a customer(s) who wants to give you money and do the 'woa is me'. I am done with this place and if this is how they treat 'customers' then this will be an empty hole in the wall shortly.

So, this place called to personally apologize to you about a small misunderstanding? Wow, what a bunch of dicks.

I've never been there myself, but I hear when they are open they have just about the best selection around. What a band wagon jumping move!!! As if we need better craft bars in this province! For shame!

I hear service is very polite and friendly their, too! Talk about pandering to the customers.

You're right. This place will only be in business another 2 months, tops. Then we can open our own great place that is open 365-24/7, like all nice places.

[El Pinguino]

Excellent...if more people could be like Eric, then my chances of getting a spot at the bar whenever I stop by will continue to increase!

I am all for posting updated draft lists / hours / events on social media. I also understand that a LOT of places do not update their actual websites often, so I never trust website hours for holidays...unless they explicitly state their HOLIDAY hours.

The phone message thing is a bi funny...I hate phones so I'd just have a generic message without details...telling people to check twitter, haha.

[atomeyes]

not everyone uses twitter or FB.
you kind of have to pander to lower (not lowest) common denominators for communicating.
i'm a firm believer in using all sorts of social media and technology to communicate.
barhop's a great bar. they kind of grind my gears by not having a webpage with an updated tap list.
if you have a properly designed website, it takes a whole 10 minutes a day to update it.

the open/closed thing: shit happens. i've sent out-of-town friends to Bellwoods and they were closed well before their posted closing time.

[nickw]

Having just been back to NYC over the long weekend, I'd like it if more bars here actively used beermenus.com (I think Thirsty & Miserable and Morgans are the only ones, really). Not everywhere in NYC updated daily (Torst, for example, hasn't updated theirs in 6 days -- they also don't have a beer list on their website -- but you know it's going to be worth stopping in on; just like BH will be here...) but enough do on a regular basis to give one a good sense of what was available, both on draught and in bottles.

[El Pinguino]

totally agree on the "whats on tap" now feature.
Either use beermenus, or keep your site updated like The Only Cafe or post photos like Bar Hop and Bar Volo.

When I mentioned to one Toronto brewpub about them never providing an updated lsit of whats on tap...their reply was it was quick and easy to send them a tweet / FB message, etc.

Ya, EXACTLY, that works both ways....

[Belgian]

The open – closed thing: I don't think it's an honest mistake so much as there are people who will thoughtlessly waste your time.

Very bad technique socially or in business. I wouldn't excuse it because excusing a thing promotes it widespread.

[atomeyes]

The open – closed thing: I don't think it's an honest mistake so much as there are people who will thoughtlessly waste your time.

Very bad technique socially or in business. I wouldn't excuse it because excusing a thing promotes it widespread.

when i owned my store, i used to hate long weekends. i'd close on the Monday. I'd make sure i had signeage up 1 week in advance and all over my store. of course, that only helps the small % of customers that come to your store the week before you close.

you can change your voicemail, but that assumes that your customers call before they arrive. which they never do.

website - still, majority of clientelle won't use this or social media.

in the end, you piss off/disappoint people who expect you to be open but arrive and find out you're closed.


it happening once in a blue moon? not an issue. Doing the Big House Pizza thing and always being closed at inopportune times? you'll lose business.

[Belgian]

I guess the point is you have to change your voicemail, post notes on the premises, the website, twitter or what have you.… So that if somebody does call, they've done their due diligence and you've at least done your part and given the correct information.

Chain of communication only as strong as a missing link...

[Craig]

Second location in the works, possibly including on-sire brewing:

http://www.postcity.com/Eat-Shop-Do/Eat ... er-Street/

[Craig]

Not a brewpub. So just a second location.

The location was licensed for like 500 people when it was a club and apparently has a sweet 2 storey balcony on it. This would be a considerable upgrade in size/space for barhop. It's also very close to the old location geographically, so I wonder if the plan is to shut the old space down when the new one is up and running?

[cratez]

Not a brewpub. So just a second location. The location was licensed for like 500 people when it was a club and apparently has a sweet 2 storey balcony on it. This would be a considerable upgrade in size/space for barhop. It's also very close to the old location geographically, so I wonder if the plan is to shut the old space down when the new one is up and running?

Fantastic news either way. The Peter Street address is further away from me but if it means I can get a seat every time I'm all for it. Glad to see them taking things to the next level.

[nickw]

Over to you, Volo.

[northyorksammy]

Great news for Toronto