Road 34’s Dollar Beer Thursdays are about more than simply having a cheap drink. They are about good times, community and friendship.
Road 34’s owner, Schuyler Gantert, places a high premium on community, seeing the bar as an opportunity to create a unique and laid-back ambiance.
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“Everyone has a good time with it,” Gantert said.
Dollar Beer Thursdays draw in regular crowds, namely college students. Gantert said this offers great opportunities to socialize and connect.
“People get to know each other outside each other’s groups,” Gantert said.
Gantert’s not just an observer from behind the bar. He takes pride in being part of the community itself. The staff mingle with the patrons, contributing further to the friendly ambiance.
“I got to know the same people,” Gantert said. “I want us to be on a level playing field with our customers.”
And Gantert’s efforts seem to be bearing their dividends.
“I think Road 34 has a really cool vibe,” said Eric Palmer, a first-year microbiology graduate student at Colorado State University.
Dollar Beer Thursday is an opportunity to meet a variety of people, facilitated partially because the bar does not blast loud music, Palmer said.
Palmer has been a Dollar Beer Thursday patron for a decade.
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Others noted certain commonalities among the crowds.
“Most people here are in the same boat with school, work, stress,” said Joe Miller, a fourth-year engineering student at CSU.
Road 34’s particular vibe is “high energy but not obnoxious,” Palmer said. “You look around and see people talking and laughing.”
Road 34’s atmosphere is “chill” and offers opportunities for “conversation and quality time,” said Lindsey Paricio, a fourth-year chemistry major at CSU. “You always run into friends.”
The bartenders and staff are respected by the patrons.
“The bartenders are laid back,” said Marion Cambrelin, a second-year veterinary graduate student at CSU.
It is not just the particular crowds that give the bar its unique identity. The aesthetics also contribute greatly, Gantert said.
“I like that there’s foosball and bar games,” Cambrelin said.
Bottom line: If you’re looking for jukebox fights and people flying in slow-motion over the bar, Road 34 is probably not your cup of tea…or bottle of beer. Dollar Beer Thursday at Road 34 offers a sense of community and an opportunity to relax in a high energy, yet laid-back venue.
Where: Road 34. 1213 W. Elizabeth Street, in Fort Collins.
When: Thursdays 8 p.m. – 2 a.m.
Current dollar beer offers: New Belgium Old Aggie, Voodoo Ranger, Citradelic, Fat Tire White.
Collegian reporter Mir-Yashar Seyedbagheri can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com. His Twitter handle is @dudesosad.
