Santa Fe Cafe to briefly open for homecoming

After almost five months of dust collecting on its barstools, Santa Fe Cafe will re-open its doors this weekend, and this time, the downtown bar will even allow patrons inside.

But the opening will be short-lived.

"We've had a lot of requests," owner Mark Srour said. "[But] this is the only time we'll be open."

After hearing from students and alumni looking for a place to grab a beer and a burger on homecoming weekend, Srour decided to open Santa Fe Friday and Saturday for its normal hours. The bar had previously opened its patio for a few Friday afternoons this fall, but Srour said after this week, the bar will shut down and start renovations.

Srour set a tentative opening date sometime early during the spring semester.

Srour, who also owns the The Mark and Cornerstone Grill and Loft, said he is still unsure about how much of an overhaul the bar will receive. The renovations were scheduled to begin around May 24, when the bar first closed, but so far, there hasn't been any progress.

Included in the planned renovations was the installation of a sprinkler system, something that the city council has been hounding Srour to install since 2003.

That year, Srour signed an agreement in which he promised to install sprinklers by 2006, College Park Director of Public Services Bob Ryan  said. But Srour still has not started on the project, and it remains unclear if the bar will install the sprinklers before they re-open for good.

"If that building were to meet current life safety codes it would be sprinklered," Ryan said.
He added that the lack of sprinkler system is not technically illegal because the bar opened before the city's requirement went into effect, but that has not stopped the city from suing Srour for breaking their agreement.

"They were open legally when they were open in May so there's no legal reason they can't re-open," Ryan said.

The litigation is currently pending, but depending on how much renovation takes place, the sprinkler requirement could apply to Santa Fe.

Sprinklers or not, many students are excited the bar will be open, even if it's only for one weekend.

"I'm actually pretty excited that Santa Fe is opening up for the weekend. It's definitely going to give a break to the monotony of Cornerstone," senior anthropology and government and politics major Xheni Llgauri said. "When I mentioned it to my roommate, she was like ‘Oh yeah we should definitely go.'"

But not all students are fully satisfied with the two-day opening.

Senior marketing major Jeremy Schon, whose band Pigeons Playing Ping Pong has performed at Santa Fe multiple times, derided the decision by Srour not to book any live bands.

"I think it's good they're finally opening up, but I'm really hoping for them to start the live music up," Schon said. "That's what sets Fe apart."

Senior American studies major Casey Campbell agreed that Santa Fe's live music added a unique dimension to College Park nightlife.

"[Live bands are] kind of the reason I always went there," Campbell said. "Without the music it's not going to be the same. I feel like it'll kind of be like all the other bars in College Park and they all suck."

rhodes at umdbk dot com