The End of an Era

After nine years, we officially sold The Haymaker.

If you’ve ever built a business from scratch, you know how bittersweet it can feel to walk away. It’s never just the business you’re leaving. It’s the time, the energy, the stress, the wins, the people. You’re proud of what you built… and at the same time, you know it’s time to move on.

How this all came together is actually a bit of an interesting story. 

Late last year, I was trying to figure out what the next move looked like. I finished a meditation one morning, and out of nowhere, Glenn Shriver’s name popped into my head. So I called him.

We caught up, I told him I might be ready to part ways with The Haymaker, and asked if he’d be interested. He wasn’t sure, timing didn’t feel right on his end, so we left it at that.

Two weeks later, he called me back.

“Hey man… I think I’m interested.”

And that was the start of it.

It’s funny how things work out sometimes. Most of the answers we’re looking for are already there. They just don’t show up when your head is full of noise and you’re bouncing from one thing to the next. You’ve got to create a little space for them to surface.

Through all of this, there’s one other thing I can’t help but notice. 

The day before we opened The Haymaker, my wife and I went to do cocktail tastings. When we got there, she told me she didn’t feel like drinking, which I thought was really weird. That’s when she told me she was pregnant with our son.

Nine years later, we sold the business the day after his birthday.

I don’t know what you want to call that. Timing, coincidence, serendipity? But it’s hard not to take a step back and appreciate it.

Now, The Haymaker is a part of someone else’s story. And I’m genuinely excited for it.

There’s something really fulfilling about seeing something you built continue to operate and produce for someone else. Glenn’s the right guy for it. I’ve known him a long time, and I’m confident he’s going to do great things with the business.

As for me, you’ll still see me at The Haymaker, just on the other side of the bar for now on. 

-G aka the Former Bar Owner

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