Today, the term 'icehouse' evokes visions of convivial conversation, shaded seating and cold longnecks slick with condensation.
You won't find a massive walk-in freezer stocked with huge blocks of crystal clear ice at any of these establishments, but you'll find plenty of outdoor space that capitalizes on San Antonio's weather.Today, the term"icehouse" evokes visions of convivial conversation, shaded seating and cold longnecks slick with condensation. Back in the 1840s — when scholars agree Texas icehouses made their debut — the gathering spots were more utilitarian than social.
"A decade and a half ago, people would seriously side-eye families that had their kids out late," said Jody Newman, co-owner of Southtown's family-oriented The Friendly Spot Ice House and its across-the-street counterpoint, the adults-only Bruno's Dive Bar."But over the last few years, specifically after the pandemic, I've seen a shift, in that people are just more accepting of different schedules and lifestyles, different needs when it comes to gathering places.
Beer costs rose nearly 6% from April 2022 to 2023 as brewers struggled to keep up with the increased cost of aluminum packaging and transportation, Yahoo Finance reports. Amid those price hikes, low-overhead icehouses are often better prepared to keep their prices low than bars and restaurants dealing with escalating rents and higher labor costs.The owners of San Antonio's newer icehouses said they understand the spots' approachability and are eager to play to it.
In November, Marquez's Old Main Ice House suffered an early-morning fire that destroyed much of the building's interior. Although the watering hole reopened in mid-January, it was still a setback. Marquez said support from the surrounding community helped soften the blow. One questions whether that would have happened had it been another kind of business.
That evolution, Friendly Spot's Newman believes, is based on a relatively newfound acceptance of differing schedules, lifestyles and social needs.
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