Michael L. Redmond

I really appreciate that. This whole thing started by just a few OTR residents seeing a place that we felt had potential and decided to role the dice, and in 2009 that was a suckers bet. We weren't bar experts, we were just OTR people who wanted to be a part of the rebuilding of our neighborhood. That paid off. I hope we inspired others to do the same. There is a lot more that Wellmanns Brands is rolling out.

I agree but I also get how the rumor mill works. There is nothing nefarious or sneaky about what is happening here. End of lease term, period. I am trying my best to move it to a much larger and better location and have been working on this for a very long time. Wellmanns Brands owns the Name, the Liquor Lic, all equipment--basically everything but the four walls. We can find new walls to house ourselves.

I own Neons' and can answer your questions. Neons' Lease ends at the end of the year, Jan. 1. That is not because of a dispute or PR fabrication. We had a dispute two years ago over building repairs including a structural wall repair and the failing of joist in the downstairs bathroom. That was resolved with a judgement in our favor allowing for rent offsets. There are no other disputes. We are in negotiations and have been working on an alternative location in OTR since 2013. We hope to announce more on that very soon assuming we can wrap up a few final details. Japp's just got named one of the top 18 bars in the country by Esquire Magazine and just expanded into food this past Friday. It is going no where and the lease is through the early to mid 2020s. The more I read on here the more bad info I see. Holly and Stacy resigned their position with 3CDC because being exclusive to 3CDC was costing them opportunities on both resales and taking the developers that they had worked with under 3CDC on outside projects. 3CDC spun it in an article to the business courier that they needed a bigger team but HOlly and Stacy had already resigned before they had even begun looking for anyone. 3CDC even kept the contract with Coldwell Banker who Holly and Stacy are with. Now 3CDC has an agent who is from Hyde Park who ironically is not exclusive to 3CDC because no one would take that deal with them today. Holly and I are not in a bad financial position. Our company has self financed every project. Not many others can say that. No debt and expansions and acquisitions of our other brands does not really point to financial hardship. I would have left Melt right where it was instead of a massive expansion into the Gantry if I was hurting. Japps or the annex have never been in a lease dispute with Bob Schneider or with Urban Sites. Annex had a 90 day out by either side and Urban Sites had to exercise that because of chases being put through that space for the upstairs renovation. They have always kept it open that we could release when all repairs are done (we may or may not).

Picnic and Pantry is staying right where it is and Melt is not leaving Northside. As Northsider said, we are hoping to add additional locations and bring food into our current bars. The food will remain the same but with more rotation and we hope to add addition product lines to both. Lisa Kagan isn't going anywhere either. She gets to get back to doing what she does best, being a chef.

I would guess much later than the 70's.

My wife and I are right down the street from you at 103 Mulberry. We just purchased 102 Peete St as well and it is under construction now plus two more on Peete, 75 and 65 both will be going under construction soon. Any help you need, just let us know. Welcome to the street.

some of us believed.

We have been bringing people down here on a regular basis for several years now. The neighborhood certainly isn't the problem with Emery nor is the lack of willing participants to help.

Jail Alley is Michael Baney Alley today (old habit). Down the Alley on the south side of Japps directly behind the Have A Nice Day space.

^Just working out details now plus way finding.

The jail alley space would work. Just pull an F license which is very inexpensive. 2 floors, 2 bars with a large stage. Contact Polly at the Stough Group and tell her I sent you. Neons, Japps and the Annex are all problematic if it is a weekend and a ticketed event. If the proceeds finds its way to an OTR Charity, my company may be willing to donate some money and or resources to help you secure the location or operate the bar. Another reason to do that space is its proximity to the 700 space garage. We should have that as the official parking for Main Street by mid Feb.

I get the pleasure of hearing all sides complain about one another. From "hipster central" to "brOTR"- Neons, Japps and the Annex are simply OTR bars. I do not advertise to any group to bring in one or the other (I dont advertise at all) I'm extatic that we have places that attract Mt Adams to Northside and Clifton to Mason all down to an area, that when I first pitched the idea, people said was dead and could not be brought back. No one should lament the fact they are popular now, These were all empty store fronts just a very short time ago. The fact is, that bro or that hipster is here in OTR and giving the next person the confidence to open the next Neons, Anchor or Park & Vine. The new moniker for OTR is- Home of One ofTravel+Leisures top 30 Outdoor Bars in the United States. http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-best-outdoor-bars/24 Be proud of the direction OTR is going because neither it, nor we, are done yet.

We are shooting for early summer.

Would Hardmans been better than Moerlein? Or Wades better than Grammars? Redmond better than Neons? Sometimes the history is bigger than the man.

Molly was on WNKU this morning talking about what is coming to Japps http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wnku/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1747159

"Also, why does Neons insist on calling intself "The Famous". For some reason that has always annoyed me. It's like when chain Chinese restaurants insist on calling themselves authentic." The Famous was actually an inside joke. I had always said that if I could own any bar in the country it would be The Famous Door on Bourbon St. But if you notice, the name used most commonly is simply Neons. As for the name Japps, that was not the bar name but the company that preceded the bar by 120 years. Our theme is not going to be 90 bar either but rather paying homage to the history of the space while offering classic craft cocktails at a neighborhood bar price. Besides, Neons and Japps by any other name would still be Neons and Japps. I could have went with my ego and called it Michaels Bar 1 and Michaels Bar 2 but somehow it just wouldn't be the same.

I don't doubt that is a plus. As is being within walking distance to the CBD and all of the food options there is a plus for OTR. Everyone has their own criteria for living options but if you look at someone like myself, who lives in OTR, I certainly don't go hungry.

O I moved to Mulberry years ago because I was within walking distance to KFC on Liberty. Now that it is gone, I too am having second thoughts. Do people really base their neighborhood choice on what ethnic food is in close proximity? If we are to that point in the hierarchy of needs for the neighborhood, then we obviously have come a long way.

We were on his show twice! Bill Cunningham 4/7/10 Hour 3 Wednesday, April 07, 2010 3:21 PM Willie talks to Dan MacDonald about the re-opening of Neon's. http://media.ccomrcdn.com/media/station_content/1209/100407_3_willie_1270668189_32273.mp3

What is the point of that statement supposed to be?

They could give you an itemized bill at the end of your diner that looks like Hot Dog -1.50 Rent-1.00 Insurance-.50 Build out-4.00 Carrying cost on working cap loan-3.00 Total-10.00 Tip____________ So really he almost lost money on selling you that hot dog.

I am all for it. Write it up and I would sign it.

Are we talking open container outside of designated areas? If so I could see where that would be problematic. If we are talking about open container inside of designated areas then the only bars that would benefit are those within entertainment districts. Technically this could be, and is done now through F licenses. They are temporary but you can walk the street within the defined area with beer in hand.

I do not believe that is true. I have a D1, D2, D3, D3A and a D6. I had to purchase my D3A and D6 because the license I bought was only 1,2 and 3 which limited me from 2:30AM and Sundays. My point being, I had several D class licenses but not necessarily the permit to sell on Sunday. Even now my D6 only allows for the operation between 11AM and Midnight. I doubt you would find many bar owners or their attorneys who would agree with that. One, the bouncer is paid to protect the patrons and property of the bar and two, taking on of additional liability of sending out an employee outside of the private premises as opposed to calling in the police for public property just doesn't sound like a good idea.

The revenue part for the state is the bottom line. The system is in place in order for the state to track people like myself and our inventories based on our sales. Every liquor on my shelf is tracked and every sale I make is tracked because they can use those two pieces of information in order to see if I am paying all applicable taxes back to the state. This is why I can not just go to any liquor store to purchase inventory because it would make their auditing nearly impossible. That being said, I am all for what you are proposing in the abolishing of the tiered system. Where do I sign! Competition between stores and even states would help drive down the cost considerably allowing for price reductions to the end consumer as well. It would allow for me to pass on cost savings and force other bars to do the same as they would have to compete with those who are willing to keep their margins the same as opposed to simply pocketing the difference. This would also allow for greater selection at bars as we have to not just abide by what the state has allowed to be dist.in Ohio, but be limited as well to what our 1 state liq. store has in stock. We routinely buy out the entire stock of specific liq. and have no legal way of getting more for a particular night or weekend. This should change. How does limiting distribution, licensing, hours, container restrictions plus purchase times and place in any way ensure consumer choice? There are tons of liq. I can not sell to you, there are plenty of places you can not consume it, there are times you can not buy it, and there are ways you can not carry it. Choice is not what is being ensured here, control and state's revenue however is. The only choice that is ensured is that of enforcement. If we all agree that some control is good then there are a few that will agree that more control is even better and vise versa.