By Jeremy Handel, Staff Writer
It was a little bit country and a little bit rock ‘n’ roll and it was all excitement as Rotties 221 Biergarten celebrated its one-year anniversary in downtown Woodruff on Sept. 26 – 27.
The two-day celebration served up great entertainment and food for the hundreds who stopped in to show their support, including rock band CPR on Saturday night and the country act Carolina Kin Band on Sunday afternoon.
Rotties is patterned after a classic German biergarten, with 24 beers on tap, an outdoor entertainment area, and a community atmosphere encouraging interaction and camaraderie. It was a lifelong dream of owners Yana and John Allen, beer aficionados who love the atmosphere of the outdoor biergarten’s in Germany and Denmark. They were excited and grateful for the tremendous celebration.
“We were overwhelmed by the support,” Yana Allen said. “It was a true celebration and a lot of us needed that this year.”
While the group interaction for the anniversary was somewhat muted due to restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic, the atmosphere couldn’t have been more upbeat and celebratory.
“The crowd Saturday night was awesome! It was great to see so many people supporting Rotties and it was good to see a lot of our CPR friends/fans there who have been waiting months to see and hear us play,” said Jeff Cassidy, lead singer and guitarist for CPR. “Rotties’ environment and setup is really great. We definitely want to congratulate John, Yana, and the staff at Rotties for a great first year.”
The anniversary was the first appearance for CPR at Rotties, but the band was excited with the atmosphere and is excited for their return on Halloween night. Sunday’s anniversary celebration featured another area band making their first appearance at Rotties – the Carolina Kin Band. The country ensemble is also excited to come back.
“The crowd was wonderful and supportive. We are so impressed by Rotties 221 and what they have accomplished in their first year. We want to be there to watch their success for many more years to come,” said Jason Passmore, singer and guitarist.
For Allen, the one-year anniversary was a celebration of more than passing a year in business, it was a celebration of building a new business during one of the most challenging landscapes in decades.
“We are blessed to have what we have and so blessed to have the support of our customers through this year,” she said. “Thank you is not enough.”
Allen credited a group of friends and family who provided “immeasurable” support during the early days of building the business. She also thanked the staff and customers – repeat and new – who have continued to support Rotties.
“It’s an exciting time to be in Woodruff, and it’s great to be a part of that,” Allen said.
Author: Tracy Sanders
