http://littlepubco.com/ Little Pub Company - Blog RSS Feed 2.0 en-us Thu, 17 May 2012 09:57:10 GMT Thu, 17 May 2012 09:57:10 GMT http://littlepubco.com/blog/Littlepub.htm?promotion=736 blog Meet Denver Foundation Board Member Mark Berzins by The Denver Foundation on Friday August 13 2010 at 11 40am Mark is the Founder and COO of Little Pub Company owner and operator of 19 neighborhood bars in the Metro area Raised in pre boomtown Castle Rock Mark is dedicated to giving back to the communities that have given him and the Little Pub Company so much While he initially focused on supporting the arts culture arena involvement with The Denver Foundation led Mark to establish a company donor advised fund and broaden his philanthropic interests Now living in Capitol Hill Mark and his wife of 17 years Margaret raise their four children with a special emphasis on volunteerism When he s not peddling beer playing with his kids or helping non profits Mark enjoys sports reading and poker Marks favorite quote You re only young once but you can be immature forever BR BR http www denverfoundation org donors page business advised funds Tue, 09 Aug 2011 01:35:42 GMT http://littlepubco.com/blog/Littlepub.htm?promotion=736 http://littlepubco.com/blog/Littlepub.htm?promotion=499 blog Every year Metro Volunteers celebrates the Power of Volunteerism in creating healthy vibrant communities through its Heart of Volunteerism Event This year we will be honoring Joe Blake with the 6th Annual Lifetime Achievement Award and Mark Berzins with the 1st Annual Community Impact Award Metro Volunteers hosts this event annually to highlight the impact volunteers have in addressing our community s needs Sun, 01 May 2011 06:02:26 GMT http://littlepubco.com/blog/Littlepub.htm?promotion=499 http://littlepubco.com/blog/Littlepub.htm?promotion=498 blog Seattle in 1997 was a pretty heady place The dollars flowing into the tech sector were dizzying and engineers and entrepreneurs found themselves with the resources to make choices about their futures One such visionary was a man named Paul Brainerd who had coined the term desktop publishing and created a program called Pagemaker When his company Aldus merged with Adobe Systems he was ready to step into a new life one dedicated to the community Brainerd and his friends in the tech world had seen the power of venture capital in transforming businesses growing them from promising start ups to successful pubic companies They wondered if that model could be applied in the nonprofit sector where the goal wasn t bringing a product to market but helping address social issues like education and the environment They brought together a group of business leaders to make highly engaged investments of money resources and expertise in local nonprofit organizations with the aim of developing their capacity and sustainability They called this group Social Venture Partners SVP Paul Shoemaker formerly a worldwide manager with Microsoft came on staff to lead SVP Seattle in 1998 He recalls that Denver was one of the earliest cities to reach out to try and replicate the model I still remember the first call I got from Denver back in 1999 after someone had read about SVP in Hemispheres magazine That person was Marlene Casini then Vice President of Advancement and Communications at The Denver Foundation She saw the model s promise for bringing new philanthropists into the work of nonprofits and for improving nonprofit business practices This year SVP Denver celebrates its 10th anniversary still operating as a program of The Denver Foundation and Shoemaker marvels at their success Denver was the second or third city to contact us about making SVP happen in their community and here they are 10 plus years later going strong Over those 10 years we ve added 23 cities and up to 2 000 members worldwide Denver was one of our trailblazers Today SVP International has chapters in the United States Canada and Japan And Denver is still one of the stars SVP Denver A model for direct involvementSo how exactly does SVP work It starts with the partners In Denver each partner contributes a tax deductible gift of at least 2 500 Together they select grantee organizations to invest in each year SVP Denver supports organizations whose missions include early childhood education K 12 education and youth development Once an organization is selected partners work with the staff and board members of the organization to increase its capacity the key to the SVP model The first half of the SVP model is that the Partners make investments in their grantees that build the long term capacity of the organizations rather than short term projects or programs Capacity building investments include cash grants skilled volunteers professional consultants leadership development and management training opportunities The second half of the SVP model is the mobilization of a community of lifelong informed and inspired philanthropists Through engagement with grantees personal connections and participation in education events partners are inspired to reinvest and make new investments in organizations associated with SVP as well as more broadly Partners also take part in running SVP Denver itself which has only one full time staff person I got involved because I loved the idea of coming together with like minded individuals to use our skills to help grow nonprofits says Bill Ryan one of several founding partners of SVP Denver He likes the leverage offered through the partnership model I recognized that if I gave 1 000 it would not be as impactful as a partnership like SVP Denver getting 20 people together to give an organization 20 000 Mark Berzins another early partner and owner of the Little Pub Company agrees If all of us wrote a check to our favorite charities it would make less of a difference Some of the best people I know in Denver I met through SVP because they are givers and do gooders It s sort of like the Justice League but we don t wear capes or ride around in invisible airplanes Over the past 10 years SVP Denver has given 576 250 in grant awards and offered the volunteer time and talents of 200 partners like Ryan and Berzins to seventeen local innovative youth focused nonprofits While Denver Foundation staff members have been instrumental in the development of the program a full time professional executive director oversees activities and helps the partners accomplish their work SVP Denver partners come from a wide range of backgrounds representing nearly every aspect of the business community from marketing to financial services to telecommunications A number of partners are professional women who are now home with kids They have connected with SVP as a way of using their knowledge and capabilities for the greater good All SVP partners know that they have more to give than money and the executive director helps them connect their talents and skills with nonprofits that can benefit from their help The role of SVP is not one of a traditional funder where you give a grant and ask the organization what it did with the money 12 months later says Lisa Fasolo Frishman previous SVP Denver executive director Our partners make the grant and work with the boards and staff every step of the way Grantees drive the process but we are there to help and sometimes to push them past their comfort zones This is what makes good organizations better Or as Bill Ryan says We not only teach them to fish but we teach them to catch bigger fish Does venture philanthropy make a difference To find out the impact of SVP Denver one has only to ask the nonprofits that have received support We applied for a grant because we were in a growth stage and wanted help to build capacity to sustain that growth said Trish Thibodo Executive Director of PlatteForum a 2008 2009 SVP Denver grantee Trish said that with the help of SVP partners they developed their fundraising strategies board committee structures and personnel as well as establishing best practices The process matured us as an organization and I really think that as we ve gone through the recent downturn of the economy our partnership with SVP has put us in a position to ride the storm and to be even more effective Fasolo Frishman explains that SVPs are strong supporters of general operating grants We let the grantee decide how to spend the money we award but then we hold them accountable for results Because we are making an investment not only of financial resources but of expertise and business practices we help the organization to assess their needs address them and use the power of the Partners network to effect real change Other SVP Denver grantees have included Environmental Learning for Kids Front Range Earth Force YouthBiz and the Young Philanthropists Foundation Colorado MESA Mathmatics Engineering Science Achievement has profited tremendously from the involvement of SVP Denver Grants helped MESA hire a grant writer to secure more funding which resulted in over 700 000 of additional revenue being raised These funds have allowed MESA to hire additional staff and expand their program SVP Denver Partners then helped MESA develop a plan to expand their program to include the health sciences A model for growth and expansionSVP Denver continues to grow even expanding partner levels during the 2008 2010 economic downturn One reason Metro area businesses have chosen to sponsor SVP Denver as an excellent way to involve and train up and coming executives in community service Community involvement is important to us as a firm and to the professional development of our staff members says Sarah Knight with Knight Field Fabry LLC a Denver accounting firm We offered an SVP membership to our top managers as part of their compensation package Both managers to whom we offered the membership jumped at the opportunity knowing it was a launching pad for getting involved in the community and for meeting some of Denver s best ReadyTalk UMB Bank Colorado Capital Bank Occasions By Sandy and Kaiser Permanente are among the businesses that also sponsor memberships for their executives Worldwide SVP as an organization prides itself on helping partners develop as leaders and philanthropists even beyond their SVP activities According to the most recent Report on Philanthropy Development Outcomes conducted by SVP International 60 of SVP partners have increased their giving since joining and 88 indicated that SVP significantly increased their community involvement This is certainly true in Denver Several SVP Denver partners have served on grantee boards and other nonprofit boards as a result of their SVP service Three SVP Denver partners Mark Berzins Sarah Bock and Bill Ryan are now members of The Denver Foundation s Board of Trustees Berzins chairs the Arts and Culture Grantmaking Committee Bock chairs the Philanthropic Services Committee and Ryan is slated to be Board chair in 2012 SVP offers its partners the opportunity to be part of a network locally and internationally of people who are trying to change the world says Fasolo Frishman These are the types of experiences that shape people s lives both personally and through the nonprofits we help People don t forget what they learn in SVP they make lifelong friends and have experiences they d never have anywhere else As SVP Denver looks to its next 10 years its volunteer leaders are more excited than ever about what lies ahead and they invite new partners to join them As we hire a new executive director and consider the possibilities for the future we know that nonprofits are hungry for what SVP can give and volunteers are hungry for the training and involvement that only SVP can offer says Wes Butero the current Chair of the SVP Denver board It s our job to continue to bring the two together Sun, 01 May 2011 05:59:24 GMT http://littlepubco.com/blog/Littlepub.htm?promotion=498 http://littlepubco.com/blog/Littlepub.htm?promotion=478 blog How do you create a successful bar How do you create 20 successful bars Mark has build a great business building bars that all have their own unique feel and brand They are kind of the anti brand Mark has figured out how to run the business of running a great bar and building a great team Everyone thinks they can open a bar Mark shared with us the secretes of running a successful one and what does it cost to start a bar Mark s father has been a bar designer and builder here in Denver for a very long time and so his roots go deep in the industry Mark virtually grew up in bars just not open ones BR BR They started their concept with a dog theme but after a few started to experiment with some non canine themes but each has a unique name and look The British Bulldog The Doghouse Tavern Irish Hound The Elm Salty Rita s and College Inn are just a few We did get out of him his favorite bar Don s It is close to his house and the story of how they acquired it is special BR BR Each of their bars has it own website but go here to find a bar near you BR BR http www smallbusinessnaked com 2011 04 18 sbn the little pub co Wed, 20 Apr 2011 05:35:29 GMT http://littlepubco.com/blog/Littlepub.htm?promotion=478 http://littlepubco.com/blog/Littlepub.htm?promotion=423 blog It s hard to find a Denver neighborhood without a neighborhood bar and it s almost as hard to find a neighborhood without a bar owned by the Little Pub Company Through March the company owned fifteen establishments including stalwarts like Don s Club Tavern the Irish Hound The Spot Wyman s No 5 and the British Bulldog Now Little Pub has added four more bars to its stable the College Inn which has held down the corner of Eighth Avenue and Birch Street for decades Dirk s 7500 South University Boulevard in Centennial Gibby s 1555 South Havana in Aurora and Pifler s 11353 West Colfax Avenue in Lakewood It s kind of dreamy says Little Pub founder Mark Berzins To have four places you know are well run and successful That s pretty tremendous Little Pub bought the four bars from the B U F F Brothers Group on April 26 and now has nineteen bars B U F F Brothers still owns FuNuGyz in Parker Our motto is If it ain t broke don t fix it explains Berzins adding that he plans to keep the names and menus as well as the kitchen and bar staffs We may tinker with some things as we get down the road but we very much want to keep those places as they are Little Pub has opened a number of its own bars including the Hound Three Dog Tavern and The Elm but Berzins says he s taking the advice of his new CEO K C Gallagher that it s a lot easier to buy a place that s already running Why build when you can buy a local champion he asks Neighborhood bars are a universal need They don t take a lot of effort if you have a good crew working in them That s why we make the commitment not to mess with things too much And with that business model in place Berzins adds Little Pub could just as easily own thirty bars as twenty By Jonathan Shikes Mon May 10 2010 12 52PM Categories Booze News Cafe Society The Dish Mon, 28 Feb 2011 02:44:07 GMT http://littlepubco.com/blog/Littlepub.htm?promotion=423 http://littlepubco.com/blog/Littlepub.htm?promotion=422 blog Have You Met Name Mark Berzins Hometown Born in Alabama but only because his parents had taken a brief job there This is a Colorado boy from Castle Rock and is proud of it Resident Denver Education Stanford University Profession Lead Dog Little Pub Company Status Happily Married Family four children one dog Story by Anne Hopper Vickstrom Have You Met Mark Berzins Extending your hand to receive the sturdy handshake of Mark Berzins the Lead Dog reads his business card of the Little Pub Company racing through your mind is Where have I met this guy before Berzins is like that he s got that friendly expression that greeting that look that you must have grown up with him Berzins came to this business through a surprising route pre med at Stanford I was offered a scholarship to Stanford through football but ended up playing rugby I wanted to be a doctor to help people After two years he realized that wasn t his calling and knew that majoring in Economics would be the best move to go into business If you attended Douglas County High School in years past you just might recognize him but everyone feels as if they know him this Colorado guy is one of those rare people that knows how to make everyone feel comfortable and at ease Just ask any of his employees of the nineteen different pubs that he leads throughout the metro Denver area Back in the beginning at Firehouse Bar Grill which they have since sold it was a big restaurant operation said Berzins What I noticed was that everyone wanted to be a bartender The traditional restaurant management plan built discontent People resented having to tip out or having a lesser position I figured if everyone wanted to be the bartender then make everyone the bartender If you re worried about employee being trustworthy trust everyone So the dye was cast when they opened Spot Bar Grill the first of the Little Pub Company stores where every employee is everything to every guest What a concept Speaking to one of the everything people Amanda who greeted me warmly at the Irish Hound Berzins and she explained that with the exception of the cook every employee is a bartender waitperson busperson what else can we do for you person All the tips are thrown into the same bucket and distributed on a prorated basis making everyone feel great about what they do Additionally we don t have seating segregation everyone seats themselves said Berzins Visit one of these nineteen establishments and you can t help but feel at home If you are wondering just which pubs are part of the Little Pub Company you ll have to figure that out on your own We re under the radar Mark explained Our competitors often are strongly branded and they get their name out there We place zero value on that I think neighborhood bars are timeless you can t say that quality service and value are in a name Little Pub Company keeps their umbrella name to themselves while making neighborhood watering holes a true part of every neighborhood Berzins and the rest of the crew don t take their success for granted nor keep it for themselves Before building a pub in a neighborhood that lacks a place where the local community can gather for a refreshing drink good meal and even a game of pool they visit with the community and work with them so that everyone is happy to have them as new neighbors Then after promoting the dedicated people that already care about the local community and work within Little Pub Company they seek to hire others that live in the neighborhood And finally the really good stuff together with their employees Berzins works with vendors to follow Little Pub Company s lead in giving generously to charitable organizations and causes We only do business with companies that support our causes When I discuss doing business with them Berzins said I tell them that I will call them to donate to groups we support and are they willing to do this This includes those that supply Little Pub Company with insurance liquor beer food and every other vendor with whom they deal It makes a huge difference if more businesses would hold vendors to a higher standard We don t advertise Berzins explained instead we take the money that would normally go to advertising costs and give it to chosen charities We contribute profits into the Denver Foundation donor advised fund under Little Pub Company fund Then it can be distributed responsibly and without our needing to hire someone to do that work for us Berzins enthusiastically told of the impact generous giving has on the company employees and communities throughout the Metro Denver area It s been great employees take pride customers feel good that through our local establishments they are being good community citizens and the Little Pub Company knows we re doing the right thing Berzins encourages employees to come up with their own ideas for giving For instance the manager at the College Inn which they have restored to its original historic condition decided to create a pub crawl to raise funds for cancer research The manager at Don s Club Tavern asked his crew if they were willing to donate a percentage of their tips that would be matched by Little Pub Company to organizations that are caring for displaced animals from the Boulder fires The Lead Dog of Little Pub Company hasn t let the success of nineteen establishments pull him off track He recognized the dangers of working in this industry but has been careful to not fall into the party mode Berzins knows his priority in life it is called his family He often mentioned his wife an architect who has been willing to put her career on hold to be the lead dog at home with their four active children and their extremely active fifth child a four legged kid named Axel Putting family first including working with his brother volunteering to rake leaves for seniors together as a family and just being together in general is by far the focus of Berzins Get to know the Little Pub in your neighborhood http www blacktie colorado com have you met archive detail cfm id 370 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 02:35:13 GMT http://littlepubco.com/blog/Littlepub.htm?promotion=422 http://littlepubco.com/blog/Littlepub.htm?promotion=420 blog Little Pub s expansion plans raising the bar By Bill Husted The Denver Post Posted 04 18 2008 01 00 00 AM MDT Mark Berzins has 10 bars but wants more Denver s Little Pub Company should be renamed the Big Pub Company Lead Dog Mark Berzins empire has expanded to 10 funky neighborhood bars And he likes the results so much he s on his way to owning 18 His drinky domain includes the Irish Hound the Spot the Elm Three Dogs Tavern Wyman s and the upcoming Great Dane at the base area in Winter Park He bought Don s Club Tavern a k a Don s Mixed Drinks in 2005 and it s been such a hit that he wants some other mom and pop bars around town He recently saved the legendary Rooster s in Broomfield after reading of its impending demise in The Denver Post He s gonna call it the Old Man a tribute to your dad s drinking days with the walls filled with pics of fathers drinking cocktails while standing contentedly on shag carpeting And we re working on a couple of other deals that are noteworthy Berzins says We have some feelers out there but we can t talk about them yet We heard that Little Pub was taking over the classic Campus Lounge Berzins said no he only wishes that were true We also heard that he s expanding Don s into the space next door He s not sure what will happen there I kind of like the time capsule that is Don s Berzins says But in other ways time moves on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 02:13:52 GMT http://littlepubco.com/blog/Littlepub.htm?promotion=420