After owning the famed Santa Fe restaurant, The Bull Ring, for 41 years, its owner, Harry Georgeades sold the establishment to a local business group headed by Santa Fe restauranteur Clint Singley, citing the Legislature’s law that “devalued” its liquor license.
The changing of ownership is ironic since The Bull Ring is a hotspot for legislators and lobbyists during the legislative session, where many deals are made and where the wheels of the Roundhouse turn.
But Georgeades had enough when Democrats passed their bill that lowered the cost of liquor licenses and harmed those who already had licenses. The same bad law also banned miniature bottles of alcohol, which now force people to buy more expensive larger bottles. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas.
During the process of the anti-business bill’s consideration, New Mexico Packaged Liquor Association’s Mark Rhodes said, “I had clients during the session that were explaining to me that some people that have drinking problems will buy a mini to get through the morning or the afternoon or the day.” He added, “If they’re forced to buy larger quantities, which is what’s going to happen, they’ll buy more liquor. They’ll buy a half pints or even larger.”
The law, which was signed by Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, “reduced the cost of a liquor license to the range of about $1,550 to $10,000 rather than anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000,” according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
Now with The Bull Ring changing hands, Georgeades told the New Mexican, “When the Legislature changed the liquor rules, it just took a toll on me.” He continued, “Our liquor license was devalued. That’s the major thing.”
Also, Georgeades blames the Governor’s pandemic lockdowns for him calling it quits.
“There’s also this: Like all restaurants, the pandemic did a number on The Bull Ring. What was a lunch-and-dinner steak joint open to 10 p.m. is now open 4 to 8 p.m. (and 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday), serving dinner only. Worker shortages are in play, too. For Georgeades, 40 years finally was enough,” the report noted.
According to the New Mexico Restaurant Association, 18 percent, or 1,100 restaurants, closed for good under Lujan Grisham’s lockdowns. The Bull Ring is one of the lucky ones to only be sold to another owner, not closed down.
Too bad the Santa Fe Ring closed the Bull Ring.
The fe…… Sucks….. Just Sayin
The economic devastation caused by this Governor should be the top campaign issue. Instead, we get constant chatter about abortion to distract and dissuade from the real gubernatorial record.
Just another example of how democraps use their b.s. policies to destroy N.M. Santa Fe was once a beautiful city. Now it’s a woke hell hole. The further up north you go in our state the crazier the democraps become. They own everything, they stole and destroyed our culture. Because of them people born in northern NM could no longer afford to live there. The NM dems love to sell out their own people.
That’s why I NEVER go North of the Line.
The Democratic Party is a self-serving party with virtue signaling always which the poorly educated in NM don’t seem to understand; they keep voting for the fools!
Uhhhhh…. new mexico’s liquor laws were slanted to keep the RICH RICH.
They were WILDLY OVERPRICED and kept “Mom and Pop” entrepreneurs from being able to get in the game. The implementation of the rule change sucked, but it was a long overdue change.
The elitist restaurant owners don’t want anyone else to have a license.
The buried lead here … most of the NM legislators are a bunch of ‘drunks’!
Has anyone commenting here ever eaten at the Bull Ring? Their prices are outrageous.
Liquor licenses were made more affordable to help small restaurants. So now the Bull Ring owner can’t gouge their patrons any longer. My heart bleeds for him.
My understanding, before all of this took place, there were only 9 liquor license holders. When one of them sold, they sold for 500,000 current value or whatever it was in the day. They held the lease rates, which were around $5k a month. This new thing rule, whatever you call it, gives the opportunity for small business to advance their business. The Bull Ring, notorious for its “legislation activity” included hookers and other inconceivable lewd acts. Ef them.
Oh well , no one should have to pay that much for a liqueur license, in the first place ,it gives other people the chance to have more businesses and a variety of places to go to , Bull rings bar was nice but the food sucked . And that bartender from Michigan was a bitch , never went back again , also I’m glad if they get rid of those small bottles , too many people littering them all over the place !
Thanks Harry, we will truly miss you!