We’ve all been there: An email with an important deadline gets buried in the inbox and suddenly you’re doing damage control.
For a popular soccer bar in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, that missed email was a notification to renew its liquor license, which eventually expired. And the timing, ahead of the World Cup coming to the city, could not have been worse.
The George and Dragon Pub has been around for more than 30 years and has frequently been included on “best bars to watch soccer” lists in Seattle. In October, the Sounders FC named it among a few official sites to watch the team in the MLS Cup Playoffs. It is also one of just a few places in the city that has English delicacies, such as cottage pie, baked beans and bangers and mash.
On May 1, the pub said on Facebook that it would not be serving alcohol due to “technical difficulties,” much to the dismay of its customers. One person replied, “(Checking calendar…) It’s not April 1st today, is it?” Since then, bar owner Daniel Pagard said business has slowed, forcing him to reduce operating hours and rent the space to private parties to bring in some revenue.
A few soccer fans gathered around “the telly” on a recent Tuesday afternoon to watch a match between Chelsea and Spurs in the Premier League. Signs posted around the pub stated that the bar was not serving alcohol at the moment, instead serving mocktails and other nonalcoholic drinks, along with food. Pagard is upfront about the situation, referring thirsty customers to nearby bars that can serve alcohol.
He said he missed an email from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board notifying him that it was time to renew the pub’s liquor license and an opportunity to appeal its expiration. Pagard panicked when he realized what had happened, but said he is working to get the permit back in good standing.
"I wish I could blame the world around me or whatever, but at the end of the day, this is a thing that falls in my lap, so I'm getting it taken care of," Pagard said.
There was a “real fear” that the pub might miss out on hosting World Cup watch parties. Now, Pagard is waiting for approval from the Washington State Department of Revenue and said he is beginning to see the “light at the end of the tunnel.”
“I am confident that we will have it done by the World Cup, but I would like to have it as soon as we can,” Pagard said.
Ideally, Pagard would like to start serving alcohol in time for Europe’s Champions League final, which is scheduled for May 30 between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain. But he is ready to give soccer fans the “best experience possible” for World Cup matches next month.
“You know, extra speakers set up, so it feels like you're at the stadium. Extra staff working, so there's no long lines or anything like that,” Pagard said. “Anybody that's ever been to the George knows that those days are pretty awesome, pretty special here.”
Seattle will host six World Cup matches at Lumen Field, starting on June 15.
