Uptown Village taproom Thirsty Sasquatch is set to reopen in late September with double the investment in its renovation, which includes a sliding glass garage door to open in warm weather and a larger patio than previously planned.
Owner Brandon Rush, said the Thirsty Sasquatch renovation will take three former tenant spaces, including the former Wild Fern Boutique and Sabor Mexicano, and cost $400,000. It’s double the amount he planned on spending before the pandemic hit, he said.
“Initially, we were going to build a patio, but now we’re doubling it because of the pandemic,” he said. “We wanted it to feel like an oasis, so we’re completely closing ours in.”
The back patio will occupy over 2,000 square feet and hold about 70 people, he said. It will feature multiple fire pits, he said.
The New York-style pizza portion of the Thirsty Sasquatch, called Hungry Sasquatch 21, will also begin delivery service when the brick-and-mortar site opens in late September, Rush said. The company will own its own cars, but Rush said he doesn’t know how many to buy yet. The cars will also deliver beer.
Rush said that Hungry Sasquatch 21 formerly planned on serving Neapolitan pizza also but cut the idea and is focusing on the 21-inch New York style.
“The kitchen build-out is gorgeous,” he said. “Everything is set up to crank out pizzas.”
The bar is also going to have a rolling library ladder with four tiers of spirits, he said.
Rush’s food cart, The Hungry Sasquatch, is serving Neapolitan-style pizza out of its spot parked near Brothers Cascadia in Hazel Dell, Rush said.
The middle section of the building, called Habitat, will be the spot for the sliding garage door, Rush said. It will be a music venue with vintage arcade games.
The Thirsty Sasquatch shut its doors in March when the pandemic struck and has not reopened since.
“What’s nice is that we were doing the build-out regardless,” Rush said. “We’re able to do the whole restructuring now. I think it’s something good for the community.”
