OT: Skeller closing

[El-Jefe]

Sad but true. Landlord found another tenant and pushed out the Skeller and Spats without an opportunity to renew the lease.

http://wjactv.com/news/local/historic-rathskeller-will-close-along-with-spats-caf

 

[dunkej01]

Somebody wanted a bigger share of my pony case.

Actually have reservations for spatts on Friday night. Will have to go down in the hole afterwards to toast the old joint.

 

[tikk10]

Ugh, that's a shame. Feel lucky now that I was there two months ago, stopping in there for a beer (okay, two) while my girlfriend was lecturing the English dep't. I'll miss it. I guess Zeno's is now my go-to dive bar there.

 

[NittanyChris]

This is devastating. WTF?

 

[Pennstate1985]

spent lots of time there in the early 80's. Sad to see an institution of higher learning closing.

 

[dunkej01]

Ugh, that's a shame. Feel lucky now that I was there two months ago, stopping in there for a beer (okay, two) while my girlfriend was lecturing the English dep't. I'll miss it. I guess Zeno's is now my go-to dive bar there.

Zenos...Really?

 

[tikk10]

Zenos...Really?

Yeah, why? Something I should know about? Every time I've been there it's been a good time. There's a solid cover band that plays there regularly, Spider Kelly.

 

[nerfstate]

Zeno's was always my joint anyway. I'll miss spats though!

 

[dunkej01]

Yeah, why? Something I should know about? Every time I've been there it's been a good time. There's a solid cover band that plays there regularly, Spider Kelly.

Just breaking balls. The only times I went there were for bar tours, beer selection was good...I think. Dont remember bands there.

If I was doing basement bars, it was Dark horse, Skeller or the Phyrst. In college I was in a different bar scene than I would be now. I think I put a floor on the MBNA building courtesy of the former G-Man and Big Easy. Tall Red Bull and Stoly Raz was like a drug starting thursday and ending Saturday.

RU post game we stopped in the Phyrst, skeller, cafe, adams apple, grill & Pickles. Reminding me that Im as good once as I ever was.

 

[pawrestlersintn]

They've been in business since three days after prohibition ended, and some of the beer that was spilled that day is still on the floor.

 

[PSUaggie]

If I was doing basement bars, it was Dark horse, Skeller or the Phyrst. In college I was in a different bar scene than I would be now.

It's hard to imagine downtown SC without the Skeller. I forgot about the Dark Horse, I believe it opened when I was an undergrad. Is it still in business?

 

[Callthestall]

Just breaking balls. The only times I went there were for bar tours, beer selection was good...I think. Dont remember bands there.

If I was doing basement bars, it was Dark horse, Skeller or the Phyrst. In college I was in a different bar scene than I would be now. I think I put a floor on the MBNA building courtesy of the former G-Man and Big Easy. Tall Red Bull and Stoly Raz was like a drug starting thursday and ending Saturday.

RU post game we stopped in the Phyrst, skeller, cafe, adams apple, grill & Pickles. Reminding me that Im as good once as I ever was.

I wasn't a student but went to a lot of football games the 1980s and stayed over for the night for the bar scene.
Remember the free gift at the Skeller if got a case of Rolling Rock ponys.
A bottle opener.
I'd like to know how many people have whacked their head on the pipe going down the stairs at the Phyrst.
Seems to me they had a bar band called Phyrst Family.? Did a lot of sing along 60s and 70s songs.
Anyone know if they still play at Phyrst.?

 

[nerfstate]

Zeno's has well over 100 beers on tap. Darkhorse still there. Phyrst family is still happening every Saturday, I believe, but without Arnie, who passed away maybe 10 years ago.

Me, I have kids, and go to bed as soon after 10:00 as I can....

 

[Flying_Tiger]

Well that sucks. Probably our favorite bar when I went to PSU. My daughter messaged me that the students are pi$$ed.

 

[El-Jefe]

They say never read the comments ... but make an exception for the Herlocher's facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/HerlochersDippingMustard/reviews/

 

[Flying_Tiger]

That's quite the PR nightmare they've created, lol. Some of those comments are funny!

 

[dunkej01]

My list if Im in
Grill - hurricane
Dark Horse - Tontos Demise or Agent Orange
Apple - Sin
Skeller - Pony case if your hanging w friends, Jack and Coke otherwise
Cafe - Raspberry Tea
Phyrst - Guiness and shot of Jameson
G-man (when it was there) - Happy Hour Tall ($2) Captain and Cokes
Brewery - Pitcher wars; who ever bought decided
big Sleazy - Red Bull and vodka
Mad Mess - Starwberry margarita
pickles is new since i graduated but its a normal shot and beer bar. Although they had coors original in aluminum bottle when i was there for RU game
Lions den was pitchers of beer and because it was always without a crowd a place to p!ss
Crow bar for shows not a drinkery
Sportscenter - 23oz draft and always our first stop on bar tours and Flyers/Pens games

 

[pawrestlersintn]

They say never read the comments ... but make an exception for the Herlocher's facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/HerlochersDippingMustard/reviews/

Brutal.

 

[El-Jefe]

Crop, need to get yourself to State College ASAP -- Spats is maybe your best bet for Hula Hoop girl.

 

[Flying_Tiger]

Brutal.

Brutal indeed, LMAO

"It tastes like yellow snow"

"Looks like baby poop, and fitting because it kind of tastes like it to!"

"Purchased this Product as a gift for my Large Adult Son’s 30th birthday and, I will say this, it tastes like dogshit wrapped in catshit! My Son had horrific food Poisoning and was unable to eat solid Food for week’s! One million thumbs down to this company"

"I only tried this mustard ONE time, and it gave me AIDS"

 

[El-Jefe]

The harshest comment of them all might have been this one:

 

[86PSUPaul]

NOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

[AgSurfer]

NOOOOOOOOOOO!

Man you guys are bringing back some memories! When I was there, Penn State was still on the quarter system which benefited me immensely. We would have fewer courses to deal with at any given time.

My last quarter there was basically just to collect enough credits to graduate. I had gotten all of the hard work out of the way. Each bar would have a designated night where you could buy a pitcher of beer for either $0.50 or $1.00. (yeah things were that cheap in those days) So I remember that almost every night, a friend and I would go to whichever spot had the special deal. None of this activity put even the slightest ding in my GPA, and what a fun way to finish school.

 

[slushhead]

Poor Rat Cellar. Now my basement may be the last in the Northeast with smashed empties all over the floor.

But without the girls.

 

[El-Jefe]

Man you guys are bringing back some memories! When I was there, Penn State was still on the quarter system which benefited me immensely. We would have fewer courses to deal with at any given time.

My last quarter there was basically just to collect enough credits to graduate. I had gotten all of the hard work out of the way. Each bar would have a designated night where you could buy a pitcher of beer for either $0.50 or $1.00. (yeah things were that cheap in those days) So I remember that almost every night, a friend and I would go to whichever spot had the special deal. None of this activity put even the slightest ding in my GPA, and what a fun way to finish school.

Nov 17, 1990 -- among the greatest Skeller nights ever.

First his happened:



... and then this happened, except with about 5x more people. The front room by itself violated the fire code limits for the entire bar. Good times.

 

[d-1980]

No more Herlocher's mustard in our house.
Sometimes doing the right thing turns out to be better for your business in the long run. I think they made a big mistake here.

 

[billrag]

Well, the Scorpion or the Phyrst were my places, but I did have my first legal beer at the Skeller, that's too bad.

 

[HOCKEYGOD11]

New building owners saved building from being torn down but Skeller was running under expired 2011 lease. They tried to come to new terms and could not andnso parted ways. This really wasn’t about forcing the Skeller out.

 

[HOCKEYGOD11]

No more Herlocher's mustard in our house.
Sometimes doing the right thing turns out to be better for your business in the long run. I think they made a big mistake here.

See above.

 

[dbldoofus]

This is a no-win situation for these mustard people. Can’t make money with the current tenants and can’t kick them out without the current backlash and what it will do to their business. Gotta say it’s bad business on their part. Not the fact that they are closing the Skeller, but the fact that they bought the building in the first place with even the remote possibility of having to kick them out. Utter stupidity and bad business sense. They deserve the repercussions.

 

[NoVa Lion]

This is a no-win situation for these mustard people. Can’t make money with the current tenants and can’t kick them out without the current backlash and what it will do to their business. Gotta say it’s bad business on their part. Not the fact that they are closing the Skeller, but the fact that they bought the building in the first place with even the remote possibility of having to kick them out. Utter stupidity and bad business sense. They deserve the repercussions.

That pretty much covers it. They should have negotiated on a new lease before buying the property. If they couldn't come to terms don't buy the property. However, no matter who the buyer ended up being sounds like the Skeller and Spats were going away in any case.

 

[dunkej01]

That pretty much covers it. They should have negotiated on a new lease before buying the property. If they couldn't come to terms don't buy the property. However, no matter who the buyer ended up being sounds like the Skeller and Spats were going away in any case.

The money the bars/rest make are night and day to a lease. the new owners had to know that, and wanted a lease or business that gave them more of the profits.

my bet they wanted them to leave and knew all along what they were doing just tried to cover their tracks with the "good faith negotiations". Ill also double down that the new building owners have a relationship with the new business occupants that are coming.

the mustard thing will go away in a few months, especially if the new bizs are thriving like the old ones. the boycott/occupy mindset has a short shelf life in my opinion.

 

[HOCKEYGOD11]

This is a no-win situation for these mustard people. Can’t make money with the current tenants and can’t kick them out without the current backlash and what it will do to their business. Gotta say it’s bad business on their part. Not the fact that they are closing the Skeller, but the fact that they bought the building in the first place with even the remote possibility of having to kick them out. Utter stupidity and bad business sense. They deserve the repercussions.

No win is right.. Keep in mind.. the other potential buyers of the building intended to demoilish it to the ground and rebuild so it would have wiped out any semblance of keeping the original look and feel intact.. Like you said though.. they could and maybe should have just stayed out and then they wouldn't be getting blamed for a situation they really can't win..

 

[tikk10]

No win is right.. Keep in mind.. the other potential buyers of the building intended to demoilish it to the ground and rebuild so it would have wiped out any semblance of keeping the original look and feel intact.. Like you said though.. they could and maybe should have just stayed out and then they wouldn't be getting blamed for a situation they really can't win..

You definitely know the situation on the ground a lot better than I ever will but I've seen landmark bar/restaurant disappear one after another here in NYC, and lots of people have the same thought--how can its replacement ever replace all that history? But people have short memories and sometimes the replacements thrive anyway. (There's a ton of turnover in the NYC bar/restaurant real estate market but that's only b/c landlords aren't sufficiently disincentivized from leaving places empty, so they all just wait until a buyer who will meet their price comes along, which we've taken to calling "high-rent blight"--empty storefronts in very wealthy neighborhoods.)

 

[HOCKEYGOD11]

I think the new tenants will do a good job even though nothing is announced beyond the fact they intend to have a restaurant/bar business take over both locations.. With the Herlocher folks stating that the building will not be torn down and rebuild, the feel and atmosphere of the location should remain pretty decent.. Lets be honest..the Skeller was a fun joint, no doubt, but if you had one bar to go to and only one bar to go to for the rest of your days.. not a whole lot of folks would have chosen the Skeller.. at least I know I would not have.. It is sad that an older establishment is going away but sometimes change is good.. we shall see..

 

[PSU Mike]

Zenos...Really?

I’ve preferred Zeno’s since 1988.

 

[HOCKEYGOD11]

I'd take Zeno's as well... personally.. much better beer selection..

 

[HOCKEYGOD11]

The whole area has vastly improved for beer drinkers in the past years.. Between Liberty/Federal/Z Bar... we actually get a decent selection on draft now.. not like the big city still but much better than years past.

 

[PSU Mike]

I wonder what share of Skellar rev came from students, and what share came from alums/townies that have longer memories. In a couple years, the students will only know the new. And if they like it, their alum parents may slowly come back.

 

[pawrestlersintn]

No win is right.. Keep in mind.. the other potential buyers of the building intended to demoilish it to the ground and rebuild so it would have wiped out any semblance of keeping the original look and feel intact.. Like you said though.. they could and maybe should have just stayed out and then they wouldn't be getting blamed for a situation they really can't win..

Do you have firsthand knowledge that other suitors were going to tear the place down? I've done a quick Google search, and can't find any CDT articles that state that. It's pretty easy for the Herlochers to make that claim to try to calm the masses down, because no one is going to go back and ask the other potential buyers.