ann arbor is overrated.

Leopold’s Leaving

Todd Leopold has just announced that he and Leopold Brothers are leaving A2 for Denver. Writes Todd:

Our lease expires in the summer, and shockingly (note heavy sarcasm), our landlords asked for an obscene amount per month in rent, so weâ€™re done. This move has zero to do with the economy, or sales levels, as we are coming off of our strongest year of sales at the pub since weâ€™ve been open. We moved here in 1998, and since that time our rent has tripled, and our new landlords want even moreâ€¦.because, of course, thatâ€™s what the market will bear.

I hope to run into you all before we leave, and I wish Ann Arbor the best. The business climate isnâ€™t one that we can survive, however.

We used to live more or less across the street from Leopold’s, and it figures in a lot of our best memories of Ann Arbor. Which sounds like the equivalent of saying that something figures in a lot of one’s best experiences at the periodontist, so let’s say that it would have figured in a lot of the best memories of any city we’ve lived in.

105 Responses to “Leopold’s Leaving”

Oh what a shame!! any word on when their last day will be? I really must make a point to go by there soon.
posted by KGS on February 4th, 2008 at 6:20 pm e
I’m actually visiting A2 later in February…will definitely stop by Leopold’s for a beer and to pick up some gin. Man, it’s Ann Arbor’s loss for sure.
posted by (former) OFWinsurgent on February 4th, 2008 at 6:38 pm e
Nooooooo!!!!!!!

I mean, I don’t live in Ann Arbor anymore, but I look back at Leopold’s as one of my favorite places in town, and one I always assumed I would go to when back in town for a visit.
posted by Becky on February 4th, 2008 at 6:41 pm e
I like the actual place and have enjoyed hanging out there, but Christ their beer is terrible.
posted by Zach on February 4th, 2008 at 7:18 pm e
KGS, our last date will be sometime in early June.

Zach, I’ve got great news for you. Our beer isn’t going to be a problem for you anymore, so you’re all set.
posted by todd on February 4th, 2008 at 7:57 pm e
Anyone up for a blogger meetup any time soon?
posted by ann arbor is overrated on February 4th, 2008 at 8:01 pm e
Holy moly! Sad news. We’ll be fleeing Michigan around the same time, Todd, though we’re leaving in part b/c Michigan isn’t the most gay-friendly place around. East coast, here we come! Hey, can we get your stuff in Maryland?
posted by OWSider on February 4th, 2008 at 8:03 pm e
Dang. Ann Arbor needs more cool bars not less. Plus we’re losing the best jukebox in town. Sad news.
posted by pat on February 4th, 2008 at 8:10 pm e
That’s too bad–I’ve always liked the place.

Best of luck with the move!
posted by Bruce Fields on February 4th, 2008 at 8:11 pm e
I had had “beer” like Bud in and after college, but I didn’t think I liked it. I even tried “good beers” like Heineken and Rolling Rock, but I was pretty sure I didn’t care for beer. Some time around 1999 I wound up at Leopold Bros and had one of their beers and was shocked to discover that I really do like beer! This was nothing like the swill I had tried before, this was excellent! More please!

I know they’ve been focusing more on their spirits, and they weren’t the best brewery in the state, but I’m going to miss them. They definitely have an amazing space and it’s a shame that they’ve been priced out of the market. Without them there’s a chance I might still think I don’t like beer!
posted by George Hotelling on February 4th, 2008 at 8:25 pm e
LP has a great jukebox, fun games, and it was generally a fun place to hang out.

..but oh my god was the service awful. It was a great place to go with coworkers because I’d never get a buzz–the missing ingredient from the drinks was “alcohol”, and it always took at least 15 minutes to get a drink. Even when it was empty, the bartenders consistently avoided the customers. It was weird. Or maybe it was just me.
posted by ex-suburbanite on February 4th, 2008 at 8:26 pm e
Er, that was supposed to be LB.
posted by ex-suburbanite on February 4th, 2008 at 8:26 pm e
Snap! I’m gonna have to buy me a crate of gin and vodka when I’m in town in April!
posted by Scott T. on February 4th, 2008 at 8:51 pm e
Hm. I go to the bar, I ask for a beer, they sell me one. Never had any trouble.

And I’ve always appreciated the fact that they let me alone after that.
posted by Bruce Fields on February 4th, 2008 at 8:51 pm e
Deity forbid you get up and get a beer yourself, ex-sub.

This totally sucks; Todd, you and Leopold’s will be missed. I hope you are able to arrange a distributor deal with Michigan so your fans here can still get your brews. I work just down the street and your bar was The Place for after-hours conferences. All the best in CO.
posted by ryan on February 4th, 2008 at 8:52 pm e
boy will i miss your gin…!
posted by cayden on February 4th, 2008 at 8:57 pm e
I guess that I should have know that this would turn into a mini-Zagat’s guide. EX-sub, I’m sorry you have had bad service at our place. Really.

As for the alcohol, I don’t know what to tell you. It’s in there. We get samples audited by the BATF laboratory (now called the TTB), and yep, it’s in there. We get complaints sometimes because the spirits are very smooth, and people assume that they are getting shorted. I don’t see this as a problem, but some people seem to need to taste “burning” when they have a drink. Try another brand, I guess. No much I can do about that.

OWS, our spirits are available in VA and DC, and I leave for Maryland (and the East Coast) this week to negotiate with a small distributor out there. We’re in the initial stages of discussion, so I don’t know if it’ll work out. But you can get our Vodka and Gin in Virginia State run stores…..and you’ll be able to get our Absinthe in DC and VA in the spring.

Thanks for the nice words, George. That was in the years that I made all lagers…not enough customers for that style of beer, sadly.
posted by todd on February 4th, 2008 at 8:59 pm e
I guess that I should have know that this would turn into a mini-Zagatâ€™s guide.

AAIO posters laud the “great jukebox” and “excellent” beer at this “fun place to hang out,” although some grumble about the “awful” service. Stop there in the next few months; it’s closing down because of the “obscene amount” of rent charged by “usurious landlords” in a town run by “NIMBY douchebags.”

Sorry, the last two weren’t actually quotes from the thread.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on February 4th, 2008 at 9:09 pm e
Shit. Bad news for all Ann Arbor. We’ll miss you. I guess that kills any hope to draft Todd for City Council. There goes one of the best chill hangout spaces in town, and the best game collections at a bar.
posted by Chuck W. on February 4th, 2008 at 9:13 pm e
todd, sorry to hear that you are leaving and sorry that you won’t (assuming) be a voice here at AAIO and Arbor Update. I have always enjoyed reading your opinions and like your direct approach. Give them hell in the Lowdow, (I don’t know how they spell that) as I assume that may be where your headed, as well as their political world. I am fairly sure that you will have your hands full if you continue to pay attention to sprawl issues; Denver has spread out pretty wide, but I haven’t been there in a while.

I also enjoy your spirits and your place. Don’t take this the wrong way but the service fits the place; whenever I needed more I spoke up and joked with whomever and made them understand that I *needed* a refill. I made out fine.
posted by abc on February 4th, 2008 at 9:37 pm e
Todd, we will miss you, but Leopolds has obviously had one foot in Colorado since you have been here. Hmmm, “Rocky Mountain Blackberry Liquor,” “Rocky Mountain Peach Liquor,” “Rocky Mountain Peach Whiskey,” “Rocky Mountain Blackberry Whiskey.” Gee, I am shocked, shocked that you are moving back to Colorado.

Hopefully it works out better for you in Denver.
posted by Juliew on February 4th, 2008 at 10:11 pm e
I now join the ranks of people who claim Ann Arbor was better back in their day. Without Thano’s or Leopolds’, just about the only hangout I have to go back to is the grad library.

Todd, I am really sorry to hear you are moving. I love your place and used to brag to everyone how close the Madison House was to Leopolds’.
posted by Dale on February 4th, 2008 at 10:41 pm e
Todd, I have many fine memories of your place, and I’m sorry to see you go. Businesses like yours contribute greatly to the character of this town, and it’s too bad that it’s become so difficult for those types of businesses to prosper here because we’re the worse for it when they can’t. Good luck in Denver.
posted by Bob Dively on February 4th, 2008 at 10:52 pm e
What a complete disaster. Shit. I’m going to leave it at that.
posted by peter on February 4th, 2008 at 11:00 pm e
I know this is bad news for you Ann Arborites, but does this mean I might be able to get your booze here in Jackson Hole without having to drive cross-country or sneak it on a plane?
posted by Fievel on February 4th, 2008 at 11:54 pm e
Julie, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

You’ve omitted that we have a New York Sour Apple Liqueur, a New York Apple Whiskey, a Georgia Peach Whiskey, a New England Cranberry Liqueur, a Michigan Tart Cherry Liqueur, and a Georgia Peach Liqueur. Are we moving to NY, Georgia, Michigan, and New England, too?

The Rocky Mountain spirits were released 1 year ago this coming February, Julie….when we 1st entered the CO market. I’d love to have things like Michigan Cherry Whiskey or Rum made with Michigan sugar (Big Chief) at our bar, but as you know, we CAN’T.

Without getting into to it too much, we tried to buy our building right around the time that the Greenway hubub 1st started. You don’t do that, obviously, if you’re looking to move. We couldn’t afford the asking price.
posted by todd on February 4th, 2008 at 11:55 pm e
That IS sad news. The atmosphere is great at LB. Wishing you all the best in CO.
posted by Michelle on February 5th, 2008 at 12:24 am e
Wow. Perfect timing. I leave A2 (never to return) at the same time Leopold’s leaves (never to return). Good to see I’m not the only one. I was going to say that you were one of the only places I was going to miss in Ann Arbor, but clearly that’s not the case. Best of luck to you!
posted by Dave on February 5th, 2008 at 7:28 am e
You should have a Huron river beer at your new place! Or maybe an “Allen Creek floodplain” one.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on February 5th, 2008 at 8:06 am e
Bad news to choke down with my morning coffee. When I spent two years in Iowa City, I spent most of the time missing places like Leopold Bros. that lent Ann Arbor a distinct identity. The community definitely suffers without businesses like this.

Leopold’s got me through many, many late nights after work, and I cherished the times I spent with friends there. Unfortunately, there just don’t seem to be enough bars around here where you can relax and talk with friends, and even walk around a bit instead of being chained to a table, while enjoying a good beer.
posted by Ian C. on February 5th, 2008 at 8:16 am e
I am voting for Greenway Gin. It’ll make a great story for anyone who asks.
posted by abc on February 5th, 2008 at 8:54 am e
One his beers could be “Frozen in Amber”.
posted by tom brandt on February 5th, 2008 at 9:06 am e
:(

…But hardly a surprise - after all, you /have/ spent the last 5 years talking about this day. Can we call you Cassandra Leopold from now on?

And it appears that my quarterly recruiting attempts to get you to Ypsi haven’t yielded fruit. Did you figure that, if you were going to move, it may as well be to a location where you can sell your products? Can we blame the Michigan LCC when we finish abusing your landlord?

As for commemorative brews, I vote for “Allen Creek Brown Ale”, in memory of the sparkling, pristine, spring-fed waters that runs past your front door. (Or did, until the ignorant brutality of industrialists and developers forced it into underground submission…)
posted by Murph on February 5th, 2008 at 9:29 am e
One his beers could be â€œFrozen in Amberâ€.

I vote for â€œAllen Creek Brown Aleâ€

Snerk! I love these names…maybe they’ll make Todd so nostalgic he’ll have to come back here.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on February 5th, 2008 at 9:43 am e
I’ll be perfectly shameless here and mention an already-scheduled gathering at Leopold Brothers. On President’s Day, Monday, February 18, from 5-7pm, I’ll be having a fundraiser at Leopold’s for my re-election campaign. Yes, I have to run this year, and even county clerks need to raise money for literature and signs and mailings.
posted by Larry Kestenbaum on February 5th, 2008 at 10:00 am e
You dudes rock, I will sorely miss that venue. It has been a while since I have been a regular. I have fond memories of working the door, behind the bar and even helping out with computers in the beginning. A great family, wonderful beer, and badass booze too! I will miss adjusting my butt to feel more comfortable on a picnic bench after hours of board games and talking with firends. Leopold Bros. is a special place in Ann Arbor that will be missed.
posted by Charlie Brown on February 5th, 2008 at 10:08 am e
!!!!
posted by Brandon on February 5th, 2008 at 10:14 am e
Will that building will now be known as the old Leopold Brothers and not the old A&L Auto Parts anymore?

I’ve always admired people who take business risks. Our society and culture would be very different if it were not for those people who have a vision and work to achieve it, regardless of their level of success.

I’m sad to hear that Leopold’s is closing. Truly sad. I prefer success to failure and only wish him and his business well. 10 years was a good run.

But I can’t say that I’m not surprised. After all, he (with the help of aaio) cursed the city, it’s long time residents and his neighbors who live in the OWS where his business is located. I hope Denver gives him the success he seeks, but you can’t bite the hand that feeds you and expect to survive.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.
posted by mucho gusto (crying in his beer) on February 5th, 2008 at 10:18 am e
you canâ€™t bite the hand that feeds you and expect to survive.

I doubt the following conversation took place much: “Want to grab a beer at Leopold’s?” “Are you serious? Did you even READ Todd’s Arbor Update post bashing the Ann Arbor Planning Commission’s latest decision? Let’s go to Scorekeepers instead!”
posted by ann arbor is overrated on February 5th, 2008 at 10:24 am e
Holy fuck this sucks!!!
Whomever this douche Zach is, he apparently needs another Bud Light to appease him.

Todd… I’ll be in to see you & Scott many times before you close up. Those landlords lawyer fucks have always given you guys shit and have never been kind. Fuck them. Ann Arbor drives away yet another cool entity. Hooray for the Peoples Republic of Ann Arbor!
posted by Schmiddy on February 5th, 2008 at 10:29 am e
You can’t go home again.

Todd, you’ll be missed. Will you still be there in the summer yet? Say July? I think that’s the next time I’ll be in town.

I essentially lived across the street from there for two years, though made the trip from long before. Along with a couple others, it was the only good one in town that wasn’t too upscale-douchey or frat-party-y. That bar played host to my birthday parties, going away party, Madison House show afterparties, prospective urban planning student tours. Saturday Looks Good to Me / Great Lakes Myth Society New Year’s Eve 2005. Best jukebox in town. Chuck, Wade et al Sunday DJ nights. Darts. That beer that is still unlike any other I’ve encountered. Greg McIntosh there every time you walked in, sitting alone with a book (or, once, a road atlas) and a beer. Trivial Pursuit. Mayor-vs-cranky-blogger meetings. That one bartender with the red hair I always had a crush on. Big long tables that allowed for fluid expansions/contractions of social groups. I miss that bar now, but I’ll miss not being able to come back to it more. Thanks for everything, guys.
posted by Brandon on February 5th, 2008 at 10:30 am e
mg is an idiot. i don’t think it was the OWSiders lack of business that ran him out-

i’ll be by to stock up once the snow thaws, i’ve always appreciated LBs feel-
posted by nyambani yangu on February 5th, 2008 at 10:37 am e
Dang, closing early June?

Ack.
posted by Brandon on February 5th, 2008 at 10:41 am e
I appreciate the sentiments, Mucho, but if what you wrote is true, we wouldn’t have just had our best year in sales at the pub.

Or how about Rene Greff and here “everyone wants a pony” comment? Their sales are fine, too.

It’s simply a function of rent and taxes. We can’t afford it, and that’s as complicated as it gets.

I didn’t curse the city, and I’m bummed that that’s all that you’ve gotten from my posts. What I did was (or so I thought) try and get citizens to understand that they are screwing with the marketplace……whether it’s delaying projects, taking parking away from businesses and giving it to resident, adding red tape, or killing projects, or creating uncertainty for developers. And when that happens, PRICES GO UP. That’s it. I was trying to get people to understand that if they really wanted to support local businesses, they had to stop this nonsense. This is not complicated. And yet people want to pretend like something else, some special economic theory no one has yet understood, is what is driving prices up. Demand is higher than supply.

And to correct a misconception, our landlords aren’t overcharging. Look at the rents up the road…..well over $30 per square foot plus taxes……and as Dale and others saw, our building sold in 2007 for $1.8 million dollars. We knew what they would be charging for rent when our lease expired, and lo and behold, they did. They are being fair.
posted by todd on February 5th, 2008 at 10:43 am e
Todd, I want to know what’s going to happen to that building. It’s big, it’s a little off the beaten path…I see why they thought they could get away with charging you so much, because you’ve made Leopold’s a destination and the building is part of what makes it so great. But could another business build what you’ve built and afford the rents that you can’t even afford?
posted by ann arbor is overrated on February 5th, 2008 at 10:52 am e
I must have hit a nerve, aaio. The skin must be thin near that one.

I was at Leopold’s the day it opened. I watched the construction with interest. I met Todd and his father. I went there with co-workers during the summer for Friday get-togethers. I tried to make it a habit, but it never caught on with me and I wasn’t able to budget a larger portion of my grocery money on expensive brews. I don’t drink as much as I used to, my generation isn’t one to hang out in bars (a business mistake in assuming that old townies would hang at Leopold’s?) I occasionally stopped by, but my days of hanging out at bars is long past. I’ve never been in Scorekeepers.

Would it have made a difference to any of Leopold’s potential customers what Todd wrote on AU, when what people read, discussed and gossiped was what he (and you) wrote on aaio? Why would any of us frequent a business when it’s owner ridicules and disrespects the place where we live? (I think there’s a lesson in there somewhere)

I think he’ll be better off in Denver as long as he doesn’t mix business with politics.

See you at Larry Kestenbaum’s fundraiser!
posted by mucho gusto (crying in his beer) on February 5th, 2008 at 11:04 am e
Actually, politics and breweries mix particularly well in Denver:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hickenlooper
posted by Brandon on February 5th, 2008 at 11:09 am e
The ultimate disrespect: opening a business in Ann Arbor.

Todd and Scott CHOSE Ann Arbor out of anywhere in the country because they thought Tree Town would respond to and support an environmentally-sustainable brewery. They were right and that shows what they think of the place.

What they didn’t realize is the twisted nature of environmentalism in Ann Arbor. The city disrespects them.
posted by Dale on February 5th, 2008 at 11:10 am e
(Todd, did you expect that the announcement of your closing would take on the air of a cataclysmic battle between good and evil?)

(Er, wait. I forgot where this conversation was taking place. Carry on.)
posted by Murph on February 5th, 2008 at 11:29 am e
It’s good to see that the old gang is back. It’s good when the old New West Siders, Dale, Murph and Brandon can get back together and cry about Leopold’s passing.

Where were you when Mr Flood’s Party closed?
posted by mucho gusto (crying in his beer) on February 5th, 2008 at 11:44 am e
Mucho, I find it depressing that you think that giving my opinion that the path that Ann Arbor is on in terms of stifling development…..leading to higher rents, higher cost of living, less walkability, fewer locally-owned businesses, and more sprawl is somehow Anti-Ann Arbor.

AAIO, I don’t know the answer to your question. When you have really deep pockets, you can do pretty much anything, so who knows what will happen to our space
posted by todd on February 5th, 2008 at 11:48 am e
When I initially moved to AA, Leopold’s was the first place I went where I actually felt like I had arrived *home*. As I’ve continued to live & work here, and as friends have moved to this area, I’ve always sent them their way, certain of the quality reception and good times they’d have there. I’m so sad to hear this news. Leopold’s is one of my favorite places. It symbolizes Ann Arbor to me, and I feel like a piece of the heart of the city is leaving with it.
posted by Political Poet on February 5th, 2008 at 11:48 am e
mucho gusto is right, guys. Now that something we like is leaving, we all need to join the folks on the barricades and ensure that new development is never again allowed in Ann Arbor, in order to protect everything else that we love.

It’s what todd would have wanted.

(Oh, if only I had learned this lesson earlier! Alas, when Stevens House burned down, I was still too young and unsophisticated to truly understand what was at stake. If I had only joined the movement to get the vacant, rubble-strewn, weedy lot declared the Stevens House Memorial Greenway, I could have saved Leopolds. Sorry, todd. I failed you.)

mg - I do so enjoy these little meetings of ours!
posted by Murph on February 5th, 2008 at 12:19 pm e
I don’t drink. I know that’s weird, but I don’t. I have never had any of Leopold Bros’ spirits, beers, anything. I have, however, had a blast every time I’ve gone. I’m sure I’m missing out on some quality booze, but it doesn’t matter to me. What matters is the fact that I’ve had real friendships start there. LB’s had a format that I loved that not only encouraged, but sometimes required interaction between two sets of people that didn’t walk in together. Nice work, Todd. Sorry to see you go.
posted by Eph-Troop on February 5th, 2008 at 12:27 pm e
Larry, I will definitely pop in to your fundraiser to see you and Todd and anyone else from this board who happens by. I’m glad I will have the chance to partake in last pint of the Leopold brew while I’m in town (and pick up some gin).

Brandon, I’ll bring a souvenier back to LIC for you
posted by (former) OFWinsurgent on February 5th, 2008 at 1:06 pm e
Todd,
I just wanted to say thanks for years of enjoyment. I think Leopolds is probably the best bar in the city in terms of bringing all types of people to one location. You have townies (I understand not MG and his cranky ass friends), U of M faculty, and a diverse group of students.
As for the poor service comment, I have to completely disagree…I’ve been treated great by your staff.
I will certainly miss Leopolds when it’s gone…guess I’ll just have to try to drink there more over the next several months

Do you have a location in Denver yet? Want to know where I’ll have to visit.
posted by Andy on February 5th, 2008 at 1:27 pm e
Todd,
It has been years since I’ve seen you. (I’m the readhead from years past, friends with Kristin and Kyle.) I wanted to also say thank you for the years of enjoyment. I’m so sad to hear I won’t be able to return to town and visit.
Open in NYC. I’ll get you a fanbase.
posted by Annie on February 5th, 2008 at 1:58 pm e
Yeah, sad news. LBs was the spiritual successor to the Del, even if it was open and bright and had weird sound (bricks bricks bricks).

I was working at Kinko’s when Todd and his bro came in to design the logo, and I’ve been going there as long as I could drink. Shame Ann Arbor couldn’t work for ‘em, but hell, Ann Arbor didn’t work for me either.

Scott, when you buy that case of gin, get me a bottle or two too, wouldja? I hope this means that LBs gin will make it closer to LA, but I can’t be sure.
posted by js on February 5th, 2008 at 2:43 pm e
“Youâ€™ve omitted that we have a New York Sour Apple Liqueur, a New York Apple Whiskey, a Georgia Peach Whiskey, a New England Cranberry Liqueur, a Michigan Tart Cherry Liqueur, and a Georgia Peach Liqueur.”

Todd, only the Rocky Mountain spirits are listed on your web site so it is hard to know much about the others. You sound so surprised that I would think you have been planning on this move, but you have had nothing but bad things to say about the state and the city (and most of the people who live here) since I’ve known you. So it actually surprises me that you thought about staying. I always figured you would be back in Colorado once you had an opportunity or reason to go. But personally I do think it is a shame. I have certainly liked living three blocks away. I think you did an fabulous job on the building and I love the amazing spirits. I’ve been schlepping Leopold Brothers alcohol back and forth to Denver for over a year now anyway, so that won’t change. We’ll still be customers and it will be nice to actually go someplace that actually has the full range for sale. We’ll have a standing order for rum (for those of you who haven’t tried it, you should, but you can’t get it here) and I’ve wanted to try the apple brandy since I heard about it. Will the new place be a pub or just a distillery? Are you going to have beer? Is it near Union Station or out in one of the ‘burbs somewhere?
posted by Juliew on February 5th, 2008 at 2:53 pm e
Since moving away four years ago, I’ve kept reading AAIO and Arbor Update, hoping that, maybe, things would turn around and people would smarten up to be the one place in Michigan to not head down the whirlpool. Somehow this news just kind of clinches that maybe not.

Over in the recent city council minutes thread at Update, Mr .Cahill said, “This may mark the end of the pro-development era in Ann Arbor. ”

Really? When exactly did that era start in the first place?
posted by rjwhite on February 5th, 2008 at 2:55 pm e
What is this, a year to the day after Pfizer announced it was leaving?

This is worse.

Because this time, as the city goes further down the shitter, the assholes are rejoicing.
posted by Parking Structure Dude! on February 5th, 2008 at 3:43 pm e
I’m saddened that LB is leaving. I’ve had a love/dislike relationship with LBs for years. I love the atmosphere. I love the staff (I’ve never had a problem with service, unless waiting for a beer when the bar is 5 deep during a football game is a problem.) I hate the smoke. Some of the time I love the beer and some of the time it’s just not that good. I love the gin. And I’ll miss seeing Todd’s smiling face and sharing his enthusiasm in his chosen career.

I also haven’t known a business owner, in any city, who hasn’t complained about the local municipality for some reason or other. I certainly don’t see Ann Arbor as unique in that regard. In fact, I don’t see Todd’s leaving as having anything, directly, to do with the city and its attitude towards development. It’s about a greedy landlord thinking they can get more and finding out, once more, that there is a limit. I am reminded of any number of similar local fiascos where a landlord forced out a long-term tenant and then found his building sitting vacant because nobody else wanted it at the price that was asked. Yes, the city has problems. But, just as AAIO, so are the problems here.
posted by spencer on February 5th, 2008 at 4:13 pm e
Lot’s of folks have already left a2 for Denver, none of them really related to each other other than having lived in a2 at some point, but Denver is pretty awesome. I can think of 8 people who have made the move in the past 2 years.
posted by JJDl on February 5th, 2008 at 4:39 pm e
“I donâ€™t see Toddâ€™s leaving as having anything, directly, to do with the city and its attitude towards development. Itâ€™s about a greedy landlord thinking they can get more and finding out, once more, that there is a limit.”

I want to clarify, again, that this isn’t a situation of a greedy landlord. They offered us a fair price for rent given market rates. We expected them to ask for as much as they did.

We can’t afford to operate in this market. It’s really that simple.
posted by todd on February 5th, 2008 at 7:57 pm e
I wish you would reconsider the Denver plan, and try Portland, OR instead. Sure, it’s a bit of a glutted market for both distilleries and brewpubs, but nobody does lagers here.
posted by Morbidly Midwestern on February 5th, 2008 at 8:09 pm e
Todd - a newcomer here. Serious question: what is different about ABC and Grizzly Peak that makes them able to succeed here?
posted by Bo Knew on February 5th, 2008 at 10:30 pm e
Bo knew -

I think it’s that,

1. Those businesses own their spaces (or at least parts of them), so are immune from rent hikes and proposal a popups.

2. Those businesses are both focused entirely on the restaurant/brewpub thing, which is what works in downtown A2. Correct me if I’m wrong, todd, but I understand Leopolds is a manufacturing operation first, and a bar only second these days - and nobody can justify paying high-volume restaurant overhead for a production floor.
posted by Murph on February 6th, 2008 at 7:52 am e
Murph wrote: “Those businesses own their spaces (or at least parts of them)”

The Shaffran Companies website indicates that Arbor Brewing Company’s space downtown is leased from Shaffran. This might be more widely known if someone would add some content on Ed Shaffran to ArborWiki.
posted by HD on February 6th, 2008 at 8:31 am e
So much for guessing…
posted by Murph on February 6th, 2008 at 8:47 am e
One Leopold’s memory that will last forever in my mind is the first Cloud Nine CD release in June 0f 2001. The place was so packed that only place to dance was on the tables!!! I shit you not!!! Amazing.

Also, just got my hands on the Halloween 2004 Ziggy Stardust show on DVD featuring Jamie Register

again, amazing
posted by Blank on February 6th, 2008 at 10:16 am e
Todd, Are you sure you don’t want to consider North Carolina? The demographics are right, the people are nice, the area is growing, and local businesses tend to open and thrive here (e.g., Schoolkid’s Records is still going strong). Housing is cheap, jobs are plentiful, and the weather is awesome.
posted by Anna on February 6th, 2008 at 10:37 am e
Oh, I guess every place has its downside: Water is a bit of an issue at the moment.
posted by Anna on February 6th, 2008 at 10:39 am e
Todd, open the first brewpub in Queens. Untapped market. I’ll book shows for you in trade for booze.
posted by Brandon on February 6th, 2008 at 11:03 am e
Todd, this is probably a fundamentally dumb but totally serious question. Didn’t you spend a fortune fixing your building up? And that was your money you spent, not the owners, right? And when the new owners bought the building, part of what they were buying was your upgrades? Do you get any of that investment back? And if you don’t, doesn’t that totally suck, or is it just a cost of doing business?

Like I said, anyone who has ever rented commercial space will think this is a stupid question, but I honestly don’t know what the roles of tenants/landlords are when it comes to upgrades.

And I guess I’m wondering also what happens to the giant green inflatable condoms. I’ve spent some pleasant time on the couch by the window, head back, watching the one on the northside hang there limply, waiting….
posted by Parking Structure Dude! on February 6th, 2008 at 11:15 am e
OH FINE JUST LEAVE US HERE ALL BY OURSELVES WITH LESS LIQUOR FOR CONSOLATION. DON’T WORRY ABOUT US, WE’LL BE SWELL, CRYING IN OUR PABST.

I HOPE YOU LIKE YOUR…DARN….PANORAMIC VIEWS …AND…DENVER OMELETTES OR WHATEVER… BUT THEY’LL NEVER LOVE YOU THE SPECIAL WAY WE DO, YOU BASTARD. OH, GOD, NO

weep

weep

weep
posted by Nitro on February 6th, 2008 at 11:30 am e
I didn’t go to Leopold’s very often as I did not much care for the beer (though the spirits are great), but this is a real loss for the city, particularly if that space becomes another Wirelezz Toyzzz or Starbucks or something equally lame.

Todd, you mentioned your absinthe would be available out east — I didn’t know you made absinthe. I haven’t been in Leopold’s for a long time, but if you are selling absinthe there now, I’ll have to make a point of dropping in and checking it out.

Best of luck to you in Colorado.
posted by Dave on February 6th, 2008 at 11:42 am e
“One Leopoldâ€™s memory that will last forever in my mind is the first Cloud Nine CD release in June 0f 2001. The place was so packed that only place to dance was on the tables!!! I shit you not!!! Amazing.”

Oh fuck yeah, that was fantastic.
posted by js on February 6th, 2008 at 12:59 pm e
Wow, we are losing one of if not the best bar in AA. You will be missed. There is no way they will be able to keep the rent high with out you. That part of town is nowhere at night without Leopold Bros. Anyone remember when the Ark moved?
posted by BP on February 6th, 2008 at 1:11 pm e
Would it have made a difference to any of Leopoldâ€™s potential customers what Todd wrote on AU

No, because as you said, you and your cohort of haters don’t hang around in bars or, as you imply, purchase small-batch craft beers.
posted by Constantine on February 6th, 2008 at 2:29 pm e
I wonder at what point radical anti-density downtown advocatates raise the â€œvalueâ€ of a downtown to the point it becomes indistinguishable from a strip mall. Its a damn good thing we got a nice one-of-a-kind joint like Bar Louie to replace the chain-bar that is Leopolds. Also, todd, it figures that after 3 years of hearing SNRE grads rave about board-games and homemade whiskey, you have to up and leave the year I turn 21. Finally, following the paths of most UMich grads who flee the state as far as their degrees will cary them, I second the vote you move to NYC.

-Disgruntled Student
posted by Disgruntled Student on February 6th, 2008 at 2:38 pm e
you and your cohort of haters donâ€™t hang around in bars or, as you imply, purchase small-batch craft beers.

Didn’t you read the reviews of Todd’s latest on ratebeer.com? “Nice malty taste that gives way to too much bitterness about the way proposed developments are rejected by Council.”
posted by ann arbor is overrated on February 6th, 2008 at 2:52 pm e
Another vote for NYC…we need more midwestern types out here
posted by (former) OFWinsurgent on February 6th, 2008 at 5:17 pm e
Well now that NYC is on the table, I’ll throw in a vote too. Brooklyn, specifically.

If I knew a developer with about ~$3 million to invest and the wherewithall to get you a zoning variance, I know the perfect location — across the street from my apartment!

There are two adjacent 3 story buildings, one on a corner lot, for sale right now. If you bought ‘em both, the first floor retail/residential spaces combined would probably be almost as large as your current space (and has basement), plus potential for a two tiered beer garden; and you could probably make the initial investment back by converting upper floors to condos). Bars are popping up like crazy (I think 4 or 5 will open up on this stretch this year), so the time is now.
posted by Scott T. on February 6th, 2008 at 5:33 pm e
Todd,

We started drinking at Leopold’s the first school year you were open, must have been ‘99. We’d buy a pint, and then flip a quarter for a second for free. Nobody ever complained about the beer or the service because both were great.

Best of luck in Colorado!
posted by the monk on February 6th, 2008 at 6:48 pm e
“Todd - a newcomer here. Serious question: what is different about ABC and Grizzly Peak that makes them able to succeed here?”

Murph was partially correct. They haven’t been hit by the Prop A tax pop like we have since our building changed hands in 07.

But the other reason is that Arbor and Grizzly are totally different businesses: they are high volume restaurants. They are open for lunch, and both places have more managers than we have employees. They are located in high traffic areas for both lunch and happy hours, and over half of their sales are in food.

Our business is set up like the new Corner Brewery is…..factory production next to a large “tasting room” with no table service. The Corner Brewery, like our place, depends on having rent at the cost of light industrial market rate or a bit higher. We can’t handle the going retail rate in Ann Arbor, as the business model breaks down because our sales volume is too low, and we’ve got a ton of space that you can’t put chairs/tables in to justify the retail rent.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for all the kind words, folks. I’m heading to the East Coast tomorrow (opening new markets), so I won’t be posting for a while.
posted by todd on February 6th, 2008 at 8:01 pm e
Thanks, Todd, that’s good info. Proposal A has certainly had its unintended consequences. Can’t help but wonder if there isn’t some kind of economic development/retention tax incentives from the state available to help offset such unforseen negative outcomes.

Good luck to you out west.
posted by Bo Knew on February 6th, 2008 at 9:30 pm e
Good luck in Colorado, Todd. Do you have a new location out that way? I visit CO a few times a year and will be sure to stop in.
posted by Nick on February 7th, 2008 at 12:05 pm e
TODD! I’m so sad! Although I’m not in AA anymore, it was such an honor to be part of the team when you first opened. Bruce loved the place, and you did so much to promote sustainability in town. Many loyal followers from UofM’s SNRE–it’s still my favorite place to go whenever I’m in town. I don’t know that i’ll get back there before you close, but I will look for you in Denver. I’ve remarried and my husband’s family is from Boulder/Denver so I’m there at least once a year!

Keep California in mind for markets (i’m in LA). We could use your fabulous black beer (my fav) out here!!!

YOU WILL BE MISSED!
Jennifer
posted by Jennifer Jacobus MacKay on February 7th, 2008 at 2:52 pm e
Todd, every time I went into Leopold Brothers (apart from Election Night 2004), I had a wonderful time. There are very, very few places on this earth about which I could say that. Thank you for the fairly decent beer, the awesome jukebox (your Go!Team partisanship was MUCH appreciated in this quarter), and the excellent food (which I sadly discovered only recently). I hope you close as late as possible and wish you all the best in your future endeavors in Denver.

So does that mean that if someone lives in a city or state, they can NEVER EVER say anything bad about either one EVER? What kind of idiotic attitude is that, especially if their opinions are… well, right?
posted by Lazaro on February 7th, 2008 at 3:14 pm e
Can we get your liquor in Nevada? Good luck!! Looks like my brothers and I need a new place to go drink when we come visit the folks for Thanksgiving. Boooooooooooooooo!!!
posted by Andy on February 8th, 2008 at 12:32 pm e
Just out of curiosity, where were you before coming to Ann Arbor in 1999?
posted by Monica on February 8th, 2008 at 1:36 pm e
Todd,

I am somewhat confused by your change in stance about your rent. Your original post with its sacrastic note talks about your landlord asking for an obscene amount of money, but then your more recent comments talk about how it was a fair and just amount they are asking for.

Why the change in tone regarding your rent costs?
posted by LaDeed on February 8th, 2008 at 1:57 pm e
LaDeed: Right or wrong, Todd’s been consistent as heck. The statement that the rent is “obscene” is completely consistent with the statement that the landlord “offered … a fair price for rent given market rates.” (Note the “given” there.)

He’s not backpedaling on the claim that the rents are high, he’s just trying to make it clear who he thinks is to blame.
posted by Bruce Fields on February 8th, 2008 at 6:20 pm e
All I hear about is that all these places are leaving because the landlords are hiking rents up the ying-yang. If demand is so high, why is every other spot on Main street and several of the perpendicular streets vacant for so long? Everyone’s bailing, and high rents are turning downtown into a freaking ghost town, but there’s demand? I’ve never seen so many places stay vacant so long. Am I missing something?

These developers and owners need a freaking slap in the face from the big green monkey of reality. Everyone seems to think they can New York City prices in Ann Arbor, but where’s the money coming from if all these places are empty for 6 months?
posted by BecomingJaded on February 11th, 2008 at 11:35 pm e
fuck it all. i rarely read aaio anymore, because it’s good to be gone from ann arbor, but every now and then, i stop in to have a laugh. didn’t laugh this time. i’m so sorry to hear about leopolds closing. i really disliked ann arbor, but i liked leopolds a lot. i liked the beer, i liked the ham sandwiches, i liked the atmosphere, i liked the good people, both owners and clientele. i have happy memories of evenings spent at leopolds.
posted by joy on February 12th, 2008 at 4:53 pm e
BecomingJaded - I’d personally ascribe much of it to landlords accumulating larger holdings. If you own one property, you have to make sure you have a tenant. If you own two properties, having one vacant is still bad. If you control 10 properties? 2 or 3 vacancies isn’t bad, especially if your rents on the rest are high enough to cover the carrying costs of those.

Also, I can’t really agree with comments about A2 becoming “a ghost town”. Some vacancies do not a ghost town make, and downtown Ann Arbor is still far from having a critical mass of vacancies. I still see a variety of businesses open and plenty of people patronizing them whenever I visit downtown Ann Arbor.
posted by Murph on February 13th, 2008 at 8:31 am e
I wish him well. The economy in Colorado is quite weak right now. Insane number of foreclosures for a non-rustbelt area. I can think of many places with a better economic climate.

I was a little surprised when I recently went out to visit relatives. Some of the scenery can be beautiful, but that pine bark beetle is making the ash borer look like an amateur. Awful. I saw whole mountainsides covered in brown, dead trees. Locals have never seen anything like it and are very worried about tourists not wanting to come as the bugs spread.
posted by ChicagoDave on February 20th, 2008 at 2:45 am e
oh no…this is one of my earliest memories of ann arbor, since it’s one of the first places i went to when i came to visit, before i even lived here. since moving here 5 years ago, it’s been one of my favorite gathering spots. i’ll miss you leopolds…ann arbor’s loss is denver’s gain! although my friend in denver will be psyched…
posted by dsl on March 6th, 2008 at 8:20 pm e
damn it.
posted by damnit on March 17th, 2008 at 2:58 pm e
good beer’s loss is shitty beer’s gain. this is both literal and metaphorical.
posted by fgc on May 2nd, 2008 at 4:32 pm e
This is a real shame. Although I didn’t spend a lot of time at Leopold’s…was never a big bar person…I was happy it was there and it was funky.

It makes me sick to think what’s going to open in that space instead…maybe a second ‘Buffalo Wild Wings’! Hey, maybe a Starbucks with a Starbucks inside of it! The upscale beverage/sports bar brand identity will certainly benefit from a larger presence in the area!

It’s SO SO hard these days not to be one of those bitching AAUBBs…’Ann Arbor Used to be Better’ people, but good god, in just the 11 years I’ve been here so many great institutions have been pretty much run out of town to make room for ‘The Melting Pot’ and other faceless chains that idiots from McMansion settlements along M14 come to raid every Friday and Saturday night. I see them on the street…you can spot them a good mile away, they’re the ones getting out of the Lincoln Navigator reeking of perfume/cologne…and I wanna scream at them…”go get your own town, you douchebags!” I mean really, if they want a Qudoba and a Tony Roma’s so bad, reserve one of those giant plots in ‘Rolling Glen Rock Cove Stream Creek’ or whatever they bulldozed to make their settlement, and put one in. It makes me sick that they come here for ‘the charm’, then help drive it out of town.

Yeah, it’s a rant…who cares.

Sorry you got run out of town on a rail Todd…people who ‘get’ AA will miss you, even if it’s just missing that you’re there doing your thing.

PS: A friend of mine and I did come in for a final drink and took home a bottle of the Absinthe Verte each…it’s wonderful. And now I can’t get anymore. Lovely.
posted by AndyT on May 22nd, 2008 at 12:29 am e
It was completely without pretense and all were welcome. I can’t think of another pub that will offer the same comfort in conjuction with fantastic spirits/beer AND..as has been mentioned many times, the best juke box in town. I saw some of the best live performances there too not the least of which was a fantastic Andrew Bird show. You were also kind enough to host my bands cd release party there in nov ‘07, and it was one of the best nights of my life. I’ll NEVER forget it. Thank you VERY much for the memories.
SMC
posted by TNG on May 22nd, 2008 at 7:26 pm e
Hey Todd,

I was back in A2 for the first time in ages and I was really sad when we rolled up to LB and saw the big for lease sign. I’m super happy to hear that you guys are not closing down, but just moving to Denver. Best wishes with the new venture and now I have yet another reason to go visit Denver again soon. If I come out in the winter, I’d be glad to push some cars out of drifts with you again. I loved LB and I loved the lagers (and the first New Years party). Best I’ve had. Thanks so much for the memories.

Any news on getting your stuff in NY state? If that happens, I’m definitely placing a few orders…
posted by BenL on June 6th, 2008 at 9:51 am e
I sure do miss you guys! This town has lost a great deal of character since you left. Todd you are truly an artist in your craft, I’m so glad I was able to stock up with all of my favorites! I hope CO is showing you as much love as MI has for you (at least those of us with any taste).

Think what you will about the issues involved here, LB added a great deal to this community. They were great bosses, wonderful friends and exceptional people to know. Not to mention the donations they gave to local charities. For those of us that don’t have our heads shoved firmly up our arses, this is a time of grieving.
posted by Laura Hart on July 21st, 2008 at 7:07 pm e
I was planning to go to Leopold’s this weekend… moved away from A2 a few years ago; just visiting for the day… dismay… sorry to hear they’re gone… best of luck in Colorado!
posted by Wendy on August 21st, 2008 at 2:40 pm e

Leopold’s Leaving

105 Responses to “Leopold’s Leaving”

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