Aug
22
Ballard Loft
The Ballard Loft isn’t one of those bars that you could pick up and reproduce in any location. In fact, co-owner and General Manager Dan Murphy told us, “It was built on a concept around the needs of the neighborhood.” He and his business partner decided to create a casual, neighborhood sports bar with quality and friendly service because that was exactly the kind of place where they wished they could hang out.
They began planning a fun, kid-friendly (during certain hours, anyway) sports bar that, as he puts it, “wasn’t geared towards any clique of people or age group.” They set out to fill the gap between a small tavern environment and the larger, corporate establishments downtown. “We’re a mid-sized, neighborhood sports bar,” Dan explained, and so far it’s working – they’re looking forward to celebrating their third anniversary in January 2011.
The pair made it a point to be sensitive to the many Ballard residents who are wary of the changing character of their neighborhood. “We knew what our idea was and what kind of a place we wanted, but we built off the character of [the neighborhood],” recalled Dan. They incorporated local reclaimed wood and industrial design elements to pay tribute to the former milling neighborhood they were joining. “I’ve done my best to build this into the neighborhood,” Dan explained.
He has nothing but good things to say about the Ballard community that has graciously welcomed this new addition. “It’s neighborly,” he said. “Once you’re here, you walk up and down the street a few times people remember you. You go in and out of every restaurant and bar and you’ll run into someone you know.” He also sees it as self-sustainable, a place where many of the residents have discovered the magic formula of working and playing in the same neighborhood where they live.
The Ballard Loft has most social media channels covered, with accounts on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Flickr, but Dan ensures that maintaining them doesn’t monopolize his time is by focusing on quality over quantity. “Sometimes there’s just nothing really going on,” he admits. “I’m not on it every single day.” That being said, they have seen a positive response to the events they do choose to post, including Twitter followers responding immediately to a special for anyone coming in and mentioning it.
More than anything, Dan prefers to focus on the bar itself. “I decided I wanted to do this when I was 16, 17 years old,” he remembers. “We entertained at my house a lot and I always liked the idea of serving people and making people happy, and having fun.” He worked his way up from a dishwasher and a bar back to take on the roles of cook, bartender, manager, and now co-owner. Armed with lessons learned from every side of the business, he runs the Ballard Loft with one simple business motto: “We just always try and make it a good time.”
Ballard Loft
5105 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
206-420-2737
http://ballardloft.com
Facebook: Ballard Loft
MySpace: Ballard Loft
Twitter: @BallardLoft
Flickr: Ballard Loft
Story and photos by Auburn Scallon
