New Albany's Speakeasy will close after a final bash on Wednesday, October 29.

The news came Friday that New Albany's Speakeasy restaurant and jazz venue is closing its doors. The final going-away party is Wednesday, October 29.

At NAC: Final "Big Band Dance and Concert" next Wednesday at Speakeasy ... then, lights out.

Post-mortems will include references to the state of the economy, but it really wasn't that simple. Throughout its roughly 15-month run, the Speakeasy was acclaimed for physical ambience and the unique nature of the jazz and dancing concept. Unfortunately, consistency in service, food and drink proved elusive, and the learning curve was slow.

Anyone who has ever worked in the "hospitality" business knows how maddening it can be to translate a great concept into a functional entity on a day-to-day basis. It's never exactly the way you'd like it to be, even after (in my case) 16 years hashing it out. The bottom line revolves around your ability to make customers feel good about paying you for the service, and to make them feel good enough that they'll come back and repeat the process. It's glib, but its true. The marketplace is unforgiving in the best of times, and when money's tighter, the work becomes harder. Speakeasy never really mastered that equation, and speaking only for myself, I wish there'd have been a way for me to be of more assistance to the owners. The plan was great, and the execution wasn't.

What happens now? It has long been rumored that Louisville-area operators have an interest in the location, and the building's owner is committed to doing what he must to fill the space even if it takes time to find the right tenant. It seems unlikely to me that the name and concept will live on, but perhaps we'll all be pleasantly surprised.

It's true that the economy is far from ideal, and yet prospective occupants of the Speakeasy site should note that it lies only half a block from the new YMCA, which will be opening in mid-November, and is expected to attract several thousand members a week to downtown New Albany.

I feel bad for the Tharps. I know that the Speakeasy was their dream, and they're in a rough place now. They tried their best, and things didn't work out, but you have to give them credit for the effort.

At the same time, we must be thinking of what comes next. Prospects for downtown New Albany remain bright. It's all a matter of finding the right combination.

At NAC: Open thread: Speakeasy will close on Wednesday, October 29.

A different planet, a new set of stressors, but the same old rock and roll.

The first five months of my year were spent wrestling with demons, and in truth, I’ve been playing catch-up ever since.

The one thing that amazes me about my period of dazed detachment is that a fair amount was still accomplished through the numbing haze. If it is possible for one to be functionally depressed, that was in fact my state -- not that I can remember all of it.

Exactly how did the deaf, dumb and blind boy orchestrate Gravity Head? He got by with a little help from his friends.

Having crawled out from the pit and embarked once again on something approximating a life, my professional experience during the past two months has been as intense as at any single time in the past.

On one hand, these are hard times for our business. Every imaginable cost is up. On the other, recessionary periods are bar none the best time to put the pedal to the metal and leap forward … and this we’re trying to do.

NABC started a while back with an empty shell of a building downtown on Bank Street, and we’ve been building a brewery and taproom there from the ground up – and that’s good, because it can be designed and the new business launched to eliminate the dysfunctions of the past. It’s also bad, because every single item must be factored into the business plan, then acquired, and organized, and arranged.

But there’s tremendous adrenalin in knowing that you have the opportunity to take something you’re already proficient at doing and boost it to another level. It’s isn’t the money. It’s the creativity and the achievement, and while there are times when the obliviousness of the slacker lifestyle seems appealing, that’s what weekend trips to the beach are all about – not that I ever indulge.

Back in 1997, more than a few people couldn’t figure out why the rock group U2 would seek to tour the planet’s stadiums with a mirror ball and gigantic lemon onstage. The answer, of course, is the same as to why dogs lick their balls: Because they can. In the 16 years of my involvement with the pub, much of what I’ve done with the beer program has been exactly that. Why have 30 different bottled lambics, four sour ales on draft at one time, month-long fests with 50 strong beers on tap, or a $60 Scaldis Prestige on the list?

‘Cuz I could (and can) get away with it.

There’ll always be time to scale back to an acoustic set, or be normal and have a manageable operation, so always go full bore while you’re able. I’m looking forward to repeating the process of excess at the Bank Street Brewhouse. Apparently, it’s the only speed I know. I’ll have to ask my therapist about that one.

Turn-Key restaurant opportunity in New Albany at the former Treet's.

The following announcement comes from Matt & Jessica Bergman, who have restored and reside in the historic commercial building at 315 E. Market. That's in downtown New Albany, across the street from the former Bistro New Albany and the Grand Convention Center.

Most readers know that Matt's and Jessica's storefront was occupied by Treet's Bakery Cafe until a month or so ago. We continue to lament the passing of Treet's, but as Matt reveals, a good commercial opportunity has surfaced in its wake. It's worth noting that while there is no alcohol licensing of the floor plan, the building lies within the domain of the riverfront development area, and if the owners were willing, a permit would be easily obtained.

However, I persist in thinking that the best use for the space would be a coffee shop on the Heine Brothers model (don't ask them; I already have. While supportive, Gary and Mike are busy expanding in Louisville).

Note that the former Rainbow Bread building that NABC hopes to convert into a brewery and taproom (an expansion of our current operation, which will remain as it is) is only a block and a half away from Matt's and Jessica's building.

Help us by spreading the word, please.

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I wanted to make you all aware that we recently lost one of our downtown businesses when Treet's Bakery Cafe closed at the end of January. Jessica and I are in search of a new tenant for our location at 135 East Market St. We would love to have another bakery & cafe type of place but are open to other options.

To secure a quick turn around, we have purchased all of the equipment and furniture in our building from the bank. This means we have a turn-key operation that is ready to open right away. The lease will be $1530 for over 2400 sq ft of restaurant space. We will also consider offers to purchase the equipment out right, creating an option to receive a lower monthly lease payment.

If you know of any businesses looking to expand or start a new business, please contact Mike Kopp 502-386-9022 to arrange a time to see our nicely restored space at 135 East Market St.