University administrators confirmed this week that plans for the New South Student Center Pub will move forward despite former vendor Fritz Brogan’s (COL ‘07, LAW ‘10) decision to withdraw from an agreement with the University. The administration says it has received interest from several potential business partners and that the pub will open on time with the rest of the NSSC in fall 2014.
Brogan, a third generation alumni, is the owner of several businesses throughout D.C. In April, administrators announced that Brogan would manage the pub, though he withdrew from the agreement in December, writing in an email to the Voice that his company was unable to reach a financial agreement with Georgetown that “satisfied [his company’s] substantial investment of financial and other resources into the project.”
Brogan did not provide any specific details as to the financial conflicts at the time and could not be reached for comment. When asked about these issues, Deborah Morey, chief business officer for university services, said that the administration would not disclose any financial information at this point in time to avoid compromising the process of finding another vendor.
The Healy Family Student Center Pub was a concept developed last year as an addition to the NSSC as a revival of the original Healy Pub, which closed in 1988.
“This is a really important project, because the campus is changing. Students are expecting a higher level of on-campus opportunities, and the on-campus pub is one of the crucial parts of this plan,” said Nate Tisa (SFS ‘14), Georgetown University Student Association president.
According to Morey, prior to Brogan’s agreement to operate the pub, the University faced difficulties in presenting the pub as an attractive business investment.
“The pub is on a college campus, so it’s not necessarily open to the public. We also have a very cyclical business, where we are busy in the fall and the spring semesters, but not during the holidays and summer. Moreover, there’s only a certain part of our population that is of legal drinking age, and bars make their money off of alcohol sales,” she said.
Despite these concerns, Morey said that the University has received more interest than before because potential vendors can now take advantage of previously unavailable options due to progress in construction of NSSC.
“I think one reason why we have had more success is because we can take people through the building and actually show them the actual architectural rendering,” she said. “We’re giving people a better sense of the space.”
Tisa added that because details such as those on the pub’s design and food options are more concrete, vendors could more easily “envision the business.”
Joelle Wiese, associate vice president for auxiliary services, said that she is working with a student pub committee to contact and interview possible restaurant and bar vendors. Tisa added that the committee hopes to figure out how to incorporate students under 21 as well.
“Finding a way that all students, not just 21 and up, can use the space is essential. We still need to figure out how to involve students that are underage in the pub, whether it’s in the restaurant or in the social space,” he said.
Although it has a list of 19 potential business partners used during the original search, the administration has updated it in search of a vendor that would be able to work well with the student body.
“The list we are working with now is not the exact same list, but there might be some overlap. We would definitely like an alum or someone who operates in the DC area or who has a lot of experience in local pubs and restaurants, not so much national companies,” Tisa said. “[In regards to the loss of Brogan], this kind of thing happens, but I’m confident that we will find a new vendor and move forward without any problems.”
