Where Are They Now?
It’s been well over a month since Old Town’s neighborhood coffeehouse and pub has closed it’s doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As many are eager to get back to enjoying the pub’s Cheers-reminiscent atmosphere and nightly entertainment, it looks to still be a long road ahead until things are back to “normal”. While Old Town Public House awaits a reopening with no timeline yet in sight, we wanted to take a look at where the familiar faces are today and how they’re holding up.
Catch up with the OTPH team below to see how they are spending their time!
Jack
OTC’s unofficial Town Historian says he has been spending his mornings getting coffee and sitting out by the Veteran Memorial at Town Hall watching the people go by, his days and evenings drinking too much beer and his nights out howling at the moon. Walgreens has sold out of notebooks from all the photo albums and journal entries he has been able to compile in this time.
Jack says he “really truly misses seeing everyone at the pub and especially experiencing the live music. The world is a different place and this time will go down in history with all of us. Oh, and thank you to whoever dropped off the six pack of beer and avocados on the porch, you ran off too fast for me to see who you were.“
PROTIP: To get your local music fix: check out our new Spotify Playlist on the OTC Home page. We feature local musicians, many of whom make regular appearances at Old Town Public House. If you are a local musician with a song to share, send us a message at: events@oldtowncornelius.com
Cheers, from Your Bartenders
Heather
For the past month, Heather has been teaching herself to play the trombone as well as brushing up on her German. She can’t wait to see her regulars again, whose gentle harassment she has missed the most. She looks forward to seeing her Sunday and Monday jam crowd again real soon! Heather adds, “We love our guests and can’t wait for more live music and people again!”
Erik
For the past 29 days (and counting), Erik’s been working on his sourdough starter, patiently awaiting the arrival of those bubbly schmubblies. Looking forward to the days of sweet exoneration, Erik is excited to get outside of the four walls and see his regular Tuesday night trivia squad. As much as he enjoys the Real House Hubs of Lake Norman lifestyle, he’s ready to get back to the life of normalcy.
Alex
“Hi Old Town Cornelius, I hope everyone has been keeping busy during these strange times. I’ve been trying to keep a positive perspective and see it as a way to be creative, which has led to many fun activities. I have been working on my arts and crafts (paint by numbers, glitter glue, puzzles, etc.), learning new recipes in the kitchen, and making progress on my running game. It’s also been nice to enjoy more time with my amazing husband, Erik! I miss seeing everyone’s faces and can’t wait to get back serving our awesome community!”
Samantha
“During the stay at home order, I am working from home for my full time job and enjoying more time with my two pups – Bender & Rajah. We are getting a lot of walks and runs in multiple times a day before I start a new position as an R&D Director in May! When this is over I can’t wait to get back to OTPH for Thinking & Drinking on Tuesdays but until then, wash your hands folks!”
John
“Usually, I stay on the go, so it’s been nice to slow down and focus inward. Having more time to devote to music has been a cool covid bonus, and my mom is happy that I’ve had more time to take care of outstanding house projects. As much of a complete “blast” this has been, I can’t wait to start hanging out with my friends and going to concerts again! I hope everyone out there is finding their own silver linings.”
YES! We are accepting TIPS
Craving more ways to support this local small business? Gift cards are available for purchase and are redeemable once PG and OTPH are fully open again. You can also leave a tip for the staff in the virtual tip jar to show them some love! Mask up. Wash your hands. Support local. And go grab a coffee from this local business!
Sean
“I’ve been hosting trivia for five years and, for the first time, St. Patrick’s Day fell on a trivia night. Of course, that was the first week of the quarantine. But, I’m looking forward to having the St. Patrick’s Day show as soon as this quarantine is over! Though I miss seeing my friends at {OTPH} on Tuesday nights, we are doing Thinkin’ & Drinkin’ Trivia over Zoom on Tuesday nights to give our community an occasion to interact – guaranteed to have NO questions about quarantines, viruses, Trump, or ‘Tiger King’.
Personally, I’m spending time with my wife and 17 year-old twins, doing work and school online, and gradually working our way to the very bottom of Netflix’ offerings.”
Case, Jess and Kipton
“This has been a very strange several weeks, full of ups and downs, learning and adapting. With so many things uncertain, this is 100% clear: We miss our community!
Our companies are founded on the very idea that we are stronger together. We have always strived to provide places and spaces for positive connectivity to happen. With the temporary hold on the ability to meet in person and gather, it has put things in perspective, just how cherished those bonds are.
We believe we are all going to emerge from this experience with new ideas and ways to connect and grow. For now we will have to settle for virtually “building a self-sustaining network of people, artists and businesses to celebrate all things local” -we can’t wait to get back to celebrating this amazing community in-real life once again!! “
– Jess
Hello, From Your Baristas
But First… Curbside Coffee Coming Soon!
If you’re getting bored with making your own brew at home, or you honestly just need an excuse to go for a drive (or walk)… we have good news! Public Grounds (the coffee shop located inside OTPH) will be revving up the bean grinders early May to start serving you curbside coffee! Follow us on social media and stay tuned for details! But for now, we have some friendly messages coming at ya!
Brenna
“Hello OTC! In the last 40+ days of this quarantine, I’ve celebrated turning a quarter of a century old. I blew my candles out with a hair dryer! (No germs here.) I’ve binge-watched stimulating Netflix series such as Tiger King, Love is Blind, The Circle, and Outer Banks.” Brenna made sure her cat, Winston, documented his quarantine experience too. Winston showed off his picture purr-fect poses with his very own calendar photo shoot!
“I never thought I’d miss 6am wake up times, but I can honestly say I do. I can’t wait to be back at OTPH serving up coffee or beer to my favorite community of people. Stay safe out there friends, we’ll be back together soon! Hugs!”
Monica
“While I can’t wait for things to go back to normal, quarantine has given me time to reflect on the important things in life like community, church, family, and friends. A few things about me: I was washing my hands before it was trending. I use sarcasm as a defense mechanism and light hearted banter.”
Jeri
“I’ve been using this time to hone my crafts, spending my free time on quilting and knitting. This time has also challenged me to be creative in cooking as well, and I’ve been enjoying making fun meals. I miss the coffee shop a ton, and I especially miss our customers and getting to talk with them. I can’t wait to hear what everyone has been up to when things calm down.”
Autumne
Autumne was seriously missing her tasty drinks from Public Grounds at OTPH. Since work is closed, she decided to continue her coffee craft at home by purchasing some new coffee equipment to feed her caffeine addiction.
“I bought a new moka pot, to make a version of Vietnamese coffee.”
She is set to graduate from nursing school in August. “I can’t wait to have my favorite espresso drinks again and study outside of my house.”
Shelley
“I’ve been trying to stay busy during the ‘stay at home’ order. I just moved into a new house, so I’ve painted the cabinets and planted a vegetable garden. I’ve also been reading a lot — I just finished the Lord of the Rings series. Most of all, I’ve missed my friends and family, and I’ve been trying to keep in touch with them.”
When In Doubt, DANCE it out!
If you’re looking for a reason to smile, Heather has y’all covered.
Get Connected!
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Old Town Cornelius
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