The expected grand opening of an on campus bar was originally scheduled for the beginning of semester, but construction is just beginning on the Draughthorse next to Barnes & Noble at Broad Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue.
There was hope for a September opening, but it was pushed back because of “delays in finalizing the liquor license and design,” said Richard Rumer, Associate Vice President for Business Services.
The full liquor license for the bar has since been obtained. The last bar on campus was the Campus Grille, which closed in 1998. Unlike the Campus Grille, which had a partial license, the Draughthorse will be permitted to serve liquor as well as beer.
The owners have been accepting bids from design firms and a decision is pending. A construction contract was awarded and with a six-week construction goal, the Draughthorse is now set to open in early November before basketball season gets into full swing.
“I’m glad to finally see an alcohol outlet on campus other than at the frat houses,” said Bryce Phillips, 23.
The Draughthorse, designed as a sports bar, will be open year round from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., though closing time has not yet been finalized. There will be the usual sports bar setting with media walls equipped with big-screen TVs and trivia games.
The televisions will favor Temple sporting programs.
“We are here to back up the sports program [at Temple],” said Payton Bowman, Draughthorse General Manager.
The bar and restaurant sections will be separated in the new establishment. Altogether, the Draughthorse will be 6400 sq. ft and should be able to hold around 300 people.
Applications are being taken for staff workers. Actual hiring will not be done until closer to opening day. Under the original opening-day time frame, applications were being taken last spring. So far, there seems to be a varied mix of applicants from Temple and the surrounding community.
Demolition of the inside of the building took place a few weeks ago. Original plans for the Cecil B. Moore Avenue section of the Independence Blue Cross building (IBC) called for four separate retail outlets, but the Draughthorse will be filling up all four of those spaces.
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