For today’s episode of the Let’s Meet For a Beer Podcast I met up with my friend Geoff Allan, the General Manager Bottlescrew Bill’s Pub in Calgary, Alberta. Bottlescrew Bill’s is a family-run business and Calgary Institution – they’ve been serving beer for over 40 years! So when you want to get a historical perspective on how crazy things are these days it seems logical to ask Geoff.
Geoff and his sister Jennifer manage the pub that their parents opened in the early 1980’s. As a family, they have seen a lot of booms and busts in this town – so it was great to see where this chapter in our history compares to the other struggles we’ve faced. Obviously, we discuss the challenges of COVID, but we also discuss the “hollowing out of the downtown core” due to the economic instability that Calgary already faced prior to the current pandemic.
We discuss Geoff’s mentors who have inspired him and how becoming a dad has changed his perspective on work and the world in general. Despite the craziness that we live in, Geoff has an incredibly positive outlook and is grateful to work alongside his family and many staff that have become family over the years.
Bottlescrew Bill’s isn't going anywhere and Geoff has learned to enjoy the journey. As he put it, “You can’t get it all done in one day, and you can’t control everything. I need to respect that.” I hope you enjoy our conversation.
