By Lisa Morgan
There is nothing that pleases me more than to see a great establishment that has suffered, shall we say, some lack of attention, come under new, hopeful and energetic ownership that promises to bring a charming pub to its fullest potential. Ok, maybe there is one other thing… when that establishment has a love for music and sees the value in bringing it in as part of its business plan.
It was no joke when Dennis and Kathy Ford took over ownership of the establishment on April 1st. Dennis, having worked in management for a manufacturing plant for several years, found himself dreading going to work every day. He and wife Kathy took a leap of faith and jumped on the opportunity to purchase the tavern when they saw the opportunity. “We wanted to control our own destiny.” They did so just in time as there were a number of other people ready to jump on the promising business venture.
I came to talk to Dennis because I saw that he was regularly booking live music, and not just any live music; some of our desert’s best. As our regular readers know, CV Weekly is quick to support any business that supports our local artists. “I love live music,” Dennis shared. He immediately recognized that live music can help build his business and create a work atmosphere he can enjoy. “I’ve had the cover band, The Arrangements here, and they filled the place. When I had Caxton in here, it blew me away. The place was packed. I’m committed to bringing in different bands of varying genres that can draw a good crowd and add to the friendly atmosphere of the place.”
Although Dennis and Kathy have no previous bar or restaurant experience, they have one important, extremely valuable tool ~ a heart for the hard working people who need a place to go after they’ve had a hard day. They know firsthand what the hard working people who come into their establishment need at the end of a long day. We understand that this isn’t a place for us or our servers to have a bad day. This is where our customers can come and have an experience that will make it better. We’ve made some changes. We’ve lowered the prices a bit. I mean, $5 for a domestic beer is just too much to charge. We want to make money, but we want to be affordable too.” Although, Dennis and Kathy are working as hard as they ever have, they are enjoying what they do and the people that frequent their tavern.
This weekend, Dennis has brought in a showcase of some of our deserts best, most loved artists to entertain. Friday, June 21st, there will be acoustic sets performed by Michael Keeth, Mikey Reyes (Mikey Reyes Acoustic Movement/Soul Opus), Josh Heinz (Blasting Echo), Eric Taylor (Campaigning for Zeros), Rob Lawrence (Formerly Sol Jah Rock), Brett McLaughlin and Christina Reyes (Caxton), and Noah Tate.
Saturday, June 22nd, cover band, Generous Thieves (formed by members of Caxton) will play your favorite cover tunes.
Next weekend, Dennis and Kathy are bringing in a couple of the lovely ladies our desert music scene has to offer, with Giselle Woo and the Night Owls along with friends Burning Betty on Friday, June 28th and Kim Galvin’s, Alyce Bowie band, Saturday the 29th. Every Wednesday night you can count on the D Phillips Band from 6-10 pm and Red’s Rockstar Karaoke on Thursdays from 9-1:30. Since the flow of entertainment will be constant, I suggest you check out their FB page Schmidy’s Tavern or their new website www.schmidystavern.com.
Schmidy’s still features one of the largest selections of craft beer in the entire Coachella Valley. In fact, Schmidy’s has the valley’s only beer Cicerone on staff (similar to a wine sommelier). Come in for “Cicerone Beer Tasting” every Tuesday, where customers are treated to a sampling over some very different and rare beers. They typically have 10 craft beers on tap at any given time. Schmidy’s also features a full food menu with a $5.00 lunch special 7 days a week. Don’t be late for “Beer School” the last Wednesday of each month. Customers who attend Beer School will be treated to a sampling of four rare beers with the last one being served from a cask. In addition to the beer, Beer School also features different foods that pair well with the beers being served. Beer School normally sells out each month so get here early.
See you at Schmidy’s!
