#UnvanishingSeattle : Conor Byrne Cooperative! After announcing the
@ConorByrnePub would shutter on March 31, 2024, a plan was unveiled to turn
#ConorByrne into an employee, musician & community-owned cooperative (which would be the first co-op music venue in Ballard). But they need your support to make it happen! (info at link in bio /
@conorbyrnecoop )
Conor Byrne co-owner for the past 19 years - Diarmuid Cullen (whose father also used to work there) - announced in March that the
#OldBallard Irish pub & institution would be celebrating its last St Patrick’s Day due to a changing industry & consumer behaviors. The space has 120 years of history as a bar/music venue – opening in 1904 (one of the oldest bars west of the Mississippi), then as the Owl Saloon for 90 years, and becoming
#ConorByrnePub in 1992 - with live music 7 days/week.
Conor Byrne - especially its longstanding Sunday open mic - has been a critical launching pad for local & emerging musicians, like The Head and the Heart, The Maldives & more. CB’s final weeks were packed - including its popular Tuesday Country Dance night - and closing night Sunday Open Mic saw artists Tomo Nakayama, Sera Cahoone & more return to its intimate stage.
Inspired by other co-op models like Flying Bike Brewery in Greenwood & venues in Europe, employees made a plan with fiscal sponsor Northwest Cooperative Development Center and with full support of past CB ownership and their landlords- Heliotrope Architects -who operate in the same building.
After successfully fundraising to seed start-up costs,
#ConorByrneCooperative is now offering pre-orders on co-op membership for $300 or monthly installments, which includes member benefits & decision-making input (go to conorbyrnecoop.org). If you’re interested in a larger investment, email invest@conorbyrnecoop.org. They’re hoping to re-open by May/June!
Be a part of history & an innovative model that could serve as a blueprint for other cultural venues across the city!
#saveconorbyrne
🙏 Mark, Adria, Dan & the CB crew
#conorbyrnecoop #seattlecommunity #seattlemusic #worldclasscity #seattleculture #seattlecharacter #seattle #oldseattle #vanishingseattle #vivaseattle
