Green Dragon co-founder Lolo Lancaster

Lots of action going on in the local beer bottling scene. In case you haven’t noticed, Hopworks Urban Brewery has been selling select bombers (that’s 22-ouncers for those of who haven’t heard) of their IPA, Seven Grain Stout, DOA, and Crosstown Pale Ale. The brightly colored orange, yellow, and red bottles are hard to miss on the shelves of select craft beer dispensaries. On Monday night, Hopwork brewers were on hand at Belmont Station for a meet the brewer event to kickoff these snazzy/gaudy new eye catchers. Brewers Christian Ettinger and Ben Love served up tastes of their bottled beauts on draft as well as their Bourbon Barrel Aged Noggin’ Floggin’ Barleywine and a Cask Conditioned IPA.

Hi Angelo,
Marc Martin here(…)I am president of The Plato Republic Homebrewers of S.W.Washington plus a feature article writer for Brew Your Own Magazine. I am also one of the Green Dragon Founders. For that reason I felt compelled to send an e-mail to Jack Joyce and his son Brett. I didn’t really expect a reply but was pleasantly surprised by the fast and cordial response.
In my e-mail I related some of the information regarding the birth of the Dragon that they may not have been aware of. Specifically, I discussed how there was very little advertising or marketing that took place during the first few months but the place was often jammed by the end of the first quarter of business. I told them how this could be largely traced to the independent “marketing” efforts of the Founders. Those of us who had faith enough in Jim Parker and the concept to pony up money to achieve the needed capital.
Many of us flooded Myspace, Facebook, Blogspots, and e-mailed 100s of friends and family to promote the Dragon. When we were in the place, which was often, we would help novice patrons choose beers and routinely gave up stools at the bar so others could sit together. In effect we became a 20 person marketing team.
The day after I sent the e-mail (Monday) with my cell number I received an e-mail reply from Brett thanking me for the information and saying that he would give me a call. That call came today and we talked for several minutes. So, first I must say that the Joyce’s are definately interested in feedback from the Founders and loyal patrons. It is their intent to retain as much of the original concept and “flavor” of the Dragon as possible. A lot of us were pulling for Lolo to be able to put something together but if that couldn’t work we certainly could have done much worse. The Joyce’s hearts are in the right place and we will not end up with a made over glass and chrome monolith like Bridgeport.
Obviously, one of my major concerns was “what is going to happen to the Founders club”?  I related how beneficial it would be to have the Founders as continuing Green Dragon “ambassadors”. This seemed to make good business sense to him and he is planning to send all of us Founders an e-mail in the next couple of weeks. I had suggested that he schedule a meeting with the Founders and he feels that this would be a good idea also. It appears that the Founders club will remain intact.
So, bottom line – I know that some changes will have to be made. For any business to be successful it must be structured, well managed and customer focused but I don’t think the changes will be radical and should make the Dragon even stronger.

Stay tuned for more info. and Long Live The Dragon !!!

One Nation Under Rogue.

Rogue:

The papers have been signed.  Rogue has purchased what was the Green Dragon pub and bistro.  Lorren “LoLo” Lancaster says “Ed offered me a fair shake and when we went in to talk to the Rogue guys, he caved.” Lancaster, a minority owner in the original Green Dragon undertaking says of majority owner Ed Schwartz: “He never truly cared about this business.  This culture we built here, he didn’t build it.”   Lancaster says that Schwartz told him “‘If you put liens against your house I accept your conditions.’ He got nervous about a bunch of stuff.”  Lancaster said that Brett Joyce of Rogue disallowed the idea of more time to work out a deal with others to keep the Green Dragon a non-corporate enterprise.  Lancaster says Joyce kept with “If it goes two more days this offer doesn’t stand (conditions).  They had (Schwartz) him over a barrel.”  According to Lancaster, Schwartz “said one thing and did another.  (Saying stuttering) ‘this is my only way out’”  So what now?  Lancaster feels disappointed, but not deflated.   After papers were signed before him, Lancaster told friends and employees back at the Green Dragon.  “In fear of there jobs, they were really bummed out” says Lancaster.  ” I have been fighting as hard as I can.  This is our house.   We built it.”  He also says that prominent people approached him with offers to save it .  “If they really have it, we are going to open our own place and (utilize) all the artwork available.”

I just received a call from Lorren “LoLo” Lancanster, who is still as I type these words, a one-third owner of the Green Dragon Pub and Bistro.  In protest to majority owner Ed Schwartz’s intent to sell the business to Rogue, Lancaster has responded to Rogue’s Declaration of Independence with the following Declaration of War:

Lorren "Lolo" Lancaster, Green Dragon founder (Morrison)

Brewpublic just spoke with Lorren “Lolo” Lancaster regarding the potential Rogue take over of the Green Dragon Pub and Bistro.  Lancaster, a 1/3 owner of the popular Southeast Portland beer geek hangout is well known and liked by the community of regulars who frequent the Green Dragon.

When I asked Lancaster about the recent news of a potential selling of his beloved bar, he says, “I am great.  I feed off the energy.”  Lancaster says  “I only found out about Ed (Schwartz) and Rogue (planning a deal) ten days ago.  I wondered why (Schwartz) didn’t come to me first.”  Lancaster has retained lawyers to help him keep the Green Dragon’s independent character.  “I got a copy of the agreement Rogue hit Ed with” says Lancaster. “Ed’s going to receive a paper that I intend to purchase within 30 days.”  Currently Lancaster maintains that he is meeting with business investors.  “I expected Ed would have come to me first, but he didn’t” says Lancaster “He said he wanted $225,000 to get out.  That’s way too cheap.   The Dragon made almost half of that in September.  September was our one-year anniversary. No businesses make money in the first year.” Lancaster also claims that the Green Dragon is about two weeks out on permits for the brewhouse to be legally operational. “This is (Schwartz)’s first rodeo. I’ve been in this business for thirteen years” says Lancaster, 39, whose last job was as a brewer with Deschutes in Bend for four years.  Before that, Lancaster spent four-and-a-half years as the lead brewer for Anderson Valley in Boonville, California.  He also brewed briefly with Star Brewing of Portland.  Lancaster served for more than three years as draft technician with F.H. Steinbarts. “I’ve never burned a bridge” says Lancaster, who remains in contact with most of his former employers.