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Brodie's Bar hopes renovations will increase business

Brodie's Bar will undergo renovations this summer with hopes of attracting more patrons.
Brodie's Bar will undergo renovations this summer with hopes of attracting more patrons.

Kenton Butcher

Brodie's Bar will undergo renovations this summer with hopes of attracting more patrons.

Brodie's Bar has plans for renovation this summer with hopes of attracting more members of the Miami University and Oxford communities.

According to new owner Chris Shoker, who purchased the bar from Marty Elliot in mid-March, the majority of the renovations on the bar will be completed in the summer.

"The main things we want to do are bring in more seating and get the other side of the bar up and running," he said. "We're also working on getting our kitchen together so we can start serving food again."

Shoker said because the bar has gone through several owners and name changes in the past few years, the bar has had trouble maintaining business. However, Shoker said Brodie's is now working to broaden and diversify its patron base to reach Miami students and Oxford as a whole.

"Even when I went to school here, this place has had a reputation of being a townie bar," said Shoker. "We really focus on hiring Miami students and having drink specials nightly to be competitive and to draw in a diverse crowd."

Shoker said the bar will be putting in a new sound system, rearranging the bar as well as installing two 8-feet projection televisions that will show most major sporting events, including Miami hockey.

"We don't want the stigma of being a sports bar, but we do want this to be a place you can come sit and watch the game if you want," Shoker said. "After all, there's only so much room at B-Dubs."

General Manager of Brodie's, John Lee, said that during the renovation process, one side of the bar will remain open while work is being done to the other until everything is completed.

"We won't be getting too crazy tearing stuff up," Lee said. "We just want the place to look good for people who want to come in and have a good time."

Lee said that during the week, eight to 10 people are in the bar at any given time, but the lack of seating deters more people from staying long.

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"The way the bar is now, if 10 people are in there, all the seats are taken," Lee said. "If any more than that come in they just kind of look around, maybe have one drink and leave."

Miami junior Mike Stuart said that he is skeptical whether the renovations will be enough to pull in a large crowd at Brodie's.

"I'm not sure how beneficial these improvements will be," Stuart said. "I don't think I know anyone who goes to that bar regularly and the times that I've been there, there doesn't seem to be a large crowd anyway."

But Miami senior Phil Baker has been a bartender at Brodie's for three months and said he feels Shoker and the rest of the staff have Brodie's headed in the right direction.

"I think Chris is going to have this place turned around in no time once all the work is done," Baker said. "Soon we'll be ready to get this place rocking."

Shoker said that once the work is completed, Brodie's will provide a unique atmosphere for people to have a good time.

"Our philosophy here is like we're having a party in our living room every night and everyone is invited," Shoker said. "We want everyone to feel safe and secure and have a great time."