File this under “sads”: The Guild Public House, a bar started on East Burnside last year by former city council candidate Jesse Cornett, is closing down. And its closing party is on Cornett’s 36th birthday.
Their press release about the closure is all upbeat, but I think it’s depressing. Blarg. A
fter nearly a year in business, we’ve realized that we’re unable to continue the business if we’re going to have the lives we value.
I’ve joked many times that the MPA I earned in grad school doesn’t stand for Master of Pub Administration. I miss the ability to work to support causes that help the public good and look forward to returning to my passion, regardless of whether I remain in the private sector or return to the public realm.
The birthday/closing celebration/funeral is next Saturday, October 29th from “4 to late.”
Not really a shocker. This is what…the 3rd bar in about 4 or 5 years to burn through that location? With the connections Cornett had and the type of visibility he provided by simply owning the place it’s pretty clear no bar is going to last there at whatever rent level they’re charging. It’s not really all that difficult to make a bar work in Portland. That location is cursed.
Wow that went a well as his run for city council.
What BlackedOut said. It seems like it’d be a good location, but clearly it’s not.
Unsurprising really, he’s to far from bar row and surrounded by Transition Projects…. which are dry and can’t afford the fucking prices anyway. There’s a reason bars don’t survive when nobody but twelve steppers live nearby. (Sizzle Pie can fucking die too. Please. Please. Please.)
Whoa, you seriously have a problem with Sizzle Pie? Go back to fucking Troutdale, Uncle Jerry.
Sizzle Pie is ok if you like eating pine nuts off a stale tortilla.
are you shitting me tcraighenry? Their aardvark pizza sauce is amazeballs.
I won’t eat anything described with “balls” as a suffix.
@tcraighenry. you’re just wrong. I wanted to hate Sizzle Pie for many reasons, but their pizzas are strait up tasty.
As a neighbor to The Guild, I’m pretty bummed they’re closing. To quote someone that knows about whey there have been 3 closed bars there, so far : “It’s been 3 bars, each owned by someone that had never owned a bar before.” The rent did not sound terribly expensive.
Also- there is zero foot traffic there. People have to intend to go to your business if they’re even near there.