Despite controversies, Santa Fe remains open

Much to the delight of College Park bar-goers, Santa Fe Cafe's planned renovations have apparently been delayed, and the popular downtown bar has been open part time for more than a month.

Although Santa Fe owner Mark Srour said last month's homecoming weekend would be "the only time we'll be open [this semester]" and the last chance for students to buy a beer before extensive renovations, Santa Fe has been open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, according to employees.

Santa Fe initially closed down in May, and Srour said then renovations would begin by the end of the month. Due to complications, the renovations never got started, and the bar remained shuttered and inactive as the fall semester began. The outdoor patio was re-opened for a Happy Hour in September, and the entire establishment re-opened in October. No renovations have been made.

Srour, who also owns The Mark and Cornerstone Grill and Loft, did not return repeated calls for comment over the past week.

Santa Fe is also entangled in a legal battle with the city regarding enforcing an agreement made in 2006 about installing a sprinkler system. According to College Park City Attorney Suellen Ferguson, Srour has yet to respond to the lawsuit. The city could seek a "default judgment" in the case, where a judge would rule without a trial.

However, City Public Services Director Bob Ryan said Santa Fe is not violating any laws by being open while the lawsuit is pending.

Bartender Susan VanDerhei said Santa Fe, known best for its live musical acts, has been jam-packed since re-opening its doors. Her friends call and text daily, asking about the bar's future in the city, she said.

"People are really committed to going to Fe," the senior criminology and criminal justice and psychology major said. "It's pretty good right now because when we are open it's always really crowded. I think there's definitely a loyalty among the customers."

VanDerhei said even though the bar is only open part of the week, the limited hours have had a minimal impact on personnel. She said there hasn't been any turnover in employees — Santa Fe just hasn't hired any to replace the ones who left.

"A lot of the people that don't work at Santa Fe anymore graduated or moved on," she said. "It's not the tragic downfall that a lot of people are making it out to be."

But she remains slightly uneasy about her future with the bar. While employees get a new schedule each week, she realizes the loosely planned renovations could begin at any moment.

"It is a very real possibility," VanDerhei said of being out of work. "We've been dealing with this very tentative schedule since the beginning of the summer. Any given day they could be shut down for renovations."

But the opening of the bar has been a pleasant surprise to Santa Fe employees, who at one point thought the semester would be a complete bust.

"It's been a much more successful semester than I think anyone would have expected," she said. "We're at capacity a lot of the time. I don't think that there would be such a demand if Thirsty Turtle shut down."

Santa Fe has a capacity of almost 450, more than both Cornerstone and R.J. Bentley's. Thirsty Turtle is the largest downtown bar, with enough room for 1,000 patrons.

But some students think the overwhelming popularity has actually made Santa Fe less enjoyable.

"I think it was a lot better last semester because since it was open all the time, it was a lot less crowded than it is now," senior English major Shayna Hodkin said. "I was there homecoming weekend and cover was ridiculous. It was packed."

Hodkin explained that she used to go to Santa Fe up to four times a week because it offered something the other bars did not: live music. But now, without live music acts, she said, the bar does little to distinguish itself.

"It's more expensive to go to Fe than anywhere else," she said. "And it's not more fun."

Other students disagreed, saying the bar remains as lively as ever. And because it could close down for renovations any day, it adds to the excitement.

"People don't know when the last time they're going to go is," senior finance major Alyson Klein said. "Nobody really knows what's going on."

rhodes at umdbk dot com