New Pilot House opens Friday!

The new and improved Pilot House will reopen this coming Friday, October 30.  The name will remain the same for now, but there are a number of names being considered….one of the inside favorites is “1901.”

Here’s what I learned during my recent Pilot House visit that might be of interest to Pilot Nation readers:

1. The Pilot House will be open to the public.

2. Prior to renovation the Pilot House could seat 160, it now seats 340, including the patio seating.

    a. There is radiant heating on the patio.

3. The new Pilot House bar will serve seven on-tap beers and one tapped hard cider.  The bar will also serve white and red wine, but not hard liquor.

    a. It would appear six of the beers will be regularly rotated between brands and that only Stiegel will be permanent, for now.  The beers will be served in 16 or 20 ounce glasses, and you can order four 4 ounce tasters.

4. Alcohol will be served beginning at 4PM each day.  Patrons will be allowed to drink anywhere in the restaurant and bar portion of the Pilot House until 8PM.

5. Beginning at 8PM the bar area will be the only place you can drink, and after 8PM you must be 21 years-old or older to enter the bar area.  All, including old guys, will be carded with every purchase, and patrons can only purchase two beers at a time.

6. It shouldn’t be a surprise that alcoholic beverages cannot purchased for take-out, and that UP students cannot use their meal card to purchase alcoholic beverages.  

7. The Pilot House now includes Mac’s general store that will continue to carry all the familiar store items, but will also serve pre-prepared hot breakfast items beginning at 7AM each day.

8. Restaurant food (including food to go) will be served from 11AM to midnight, at which time the bar will close….I think.

9. There are five 90 inch HD screens in the Pilot House capable of transmitting most anything, including the Pilots game from the TV networks and TheW.tv.  If 90 inches isn’t enough for you, there is also a 100 inch multi-media screen behind a portable stage.

10. There are separate sound/audio zones throughout the Pilot House that I found very effective at allowing the listener to hear only the media or music in that zone.

The new Pilot House will be a terrific place for Pilots fans to get fired-up before each sporting event……and a place where we can unwind and analyze UP’s wins and losses afterwards.

With basketball season just around the corner, the timing couldn’t be better…..

I don't guess they'll honor the Pilot Club dinner cards, will they?

Seems unfortunate that you couldn't watch, say, a 1:00pm away soccer game while lifting a cold one...

Is Mac's named in honor of Mac's Market? I hope so.

Damn, I made my triumphant return to the Bluff one year too early! This looks pretty neat.

pilotram wrote:Is Mac's named in honor of Mac's Market? I hope so.

Yes, it is, I should have referred to it as Mac's Market in my initial description.

I heard it referred to as simply "the market" by the manager there during my visit, but the original Mac's Market sign has been preserved and will be prominently displayed in the new Mac's Market inside the new Pilot House....

Geezaldinho wrote:Seems unfortunate that you couldn't watch, say, a 1:00pm away soccer game while lifting a cold one...

Remember, this is just the initial, first day, set-up.  Hours and procedures will certainly see some adjustment before next year's soccer season.

This is only a guess on my part, but as there are no classes on the weekend, it could be that alcoholic beverages could be served earlier than 4pm on Saturday and/or Sunday.....especially if students show a great interest in that kind of set-up on game day.

As the only remaining away soccer game this year is the men vs. St. Mary's @ 1pm on November 14, and there is no planned video feed for that game, there is always next year to look forward to.

Terry Cahill wrote:Damn, I made my triumphant return to the Bluff one year too early! This looks pretty neat.

Haha, unless you're hiding something you are welcome back, ya know!

The only caveat being.....no Loonies accepted as legal tender in the new Pilot House bar!!  

This is great news... I look forward to checking it out! Hopefully they will only be showing AWAY matches/games.... Along with the Beauchamp Center, this will be another draw to campus for students and alums, which is great!

The beer selection will be interesting... if they are looking to draw in students, they will need to have some, ummm, budget-friendly but taste-challenged options...

PilotNut wrote:The beer selection will be interesting... if they are looking to draw in students, they will need to have some, ummm, budget-friendly but taste-challenged options...

I've forgotten the price point (we'll find out more tomorrow at the dedication/blessing), but it is my recollection that the price will be the same for all the beers and is only dependent on the size.

Also, the manager rattled off at least eight different local independent breweries that will be featured on a rotating basis.

Again, the Pilot House hasn't even reopened yet, and changes will be made based upon what may or may not be selling (food and beer), and if there is a clamor for different hours.

BTW, the Pilot House will be available for private parties.....but not during the academic year.  I'm going to guess that means YES for Christmas break and summer, but NO for all other times.

PilotNut wrote:The beer selection will be interesting... if they are looking to draw in students, they will need to have some, ummm, budget-friendly but taste-challenged options...

DoubleDipper wrote: my recollection that the price will be the same for all the beers and is only dependent on the size.

Also, the manager rattled off at least eight different local independent breweries that will be featured on a rotating basis.

What, no PBR?

up7587 wrote:What, no PBR?

Now that there is a parking area on the River Campus (with shuttle), I would imagine we could find a few empty PBR cans lying about there.

****I would like to point out that as I write this post, Geezer just completed his 9,999th post on PilotNation.net, and as this is the only thread we have going now that is discussing beer, I think we should all take great pleasure in seeing The Geez make his 10,000th post here.

Come on Geez, let's see something about beer.....not UP athletics.  

DoubleDipper wrote:

up7587 wrote:What, no PBR?

Now that there is a parking area on the River Campus (with shuttle), I would imagine we could find a few empty PBR cans lying about there.

****I would like to point out that as I write this post, Geezer just completed his 9,999th post on PilotNation.net, and as this is the only thread we have going now that is discussing beer, I think we should all take great pleasure in seeing The Geez make his 10,000th post here.

Come on Geez, let's see something about beer.....not UP athletics.  

Boom!

Here ya go.


I'm in my pub as we speak having  a Pliny the Elder. ( not sure if it's my 9,999th or not)  Life just   seems to keep coming around in circles.    ok, maybe more than one.

So.. No news on practice today...as requested.

Terry Cahill wrote:Damn, I made my triumphant return to the Bluff one year too early! This looks pretty neat.

I'm not sure I'd call stumbling into an Alumni fête a " triumphant return".

DoubleDipper wrote:

PilotNut wrote:The beer selection will be interesting... if they are looking to draw in students, they will need to have some, ummm, budget-friendly but taste-challenged options...

I've forgotten the price point (we'll find out more tomorrow at the dedication/blessing), but it is my recollection that the price will be the same for all the beers and is only dependent on the size.

16oz - $4 and 20oz - $5.
Most bottled beers - $3 (sorry, no PBR), but some are $4 and $6.

Great late evening Pilot House preview yesterday with Pilots Volleyball Team going 5 sets to beat USF, the Ducks going to 3 OTs to beat ASU, and the Timbers going 2 OTs and 11 penalty kicks a side before the Timbers prevailed.  These 3 games were simultaneously playing on the various 90 inch screens around the Pilot House....and it made for an exciting atmosphere for the hard core that stayed to the very end.

Having grabbed a burger and a beer or two at the T-Room just last Saturday, it made for an interesting comparison at the Pilot House last night.  The Pilot House has a much tighter menu (fewer burger offerings, for instance), but offers a wider variety of selections, including rotisserie chicken and a rotisserie roast dinner.

Price.....I'd have to give the edge to the Pilot House where the burgers are about $3 less expensive ($7.00, $7.50, $8.00) than those at the T-Room.

I could post here all the beers that were offered, but as they will most likely change as supplies dwindle, I will just comment that there were 7 beers on tap and 18 varieties of bottled beer.  (I didn't try any of the wine or cider, but as previously mentioned, there is red and white wine and two hard ciders, one on tap).

First basketball game of the season is next Saturday (11/7) at 2pm, and as the Pilot House bar opens at 4pm.....it would seem the timing is perfect for a post-game gathering.

Day drinking at the Pilot house is a time honored tradition.

I'm not giving a dime to the U until they change that.

Sick of this...

Well, it's day....


I'm drinking at the Pilot House.


Pony up, dude.

Woodless 2.0 wrote:Day drinking at the Pilot house is a time honored tradition.

I'm not giving a dime to the U until they change that.

Sick of this...

Did Woodless! 1.0 lose his login information on the trip to Aspen?

The kegerator at my place flows 24/7 when you make your triumphant return.

Yes. I think Woodless 1.0 was attached to my UP e-mail account. Woodless 1.0 had very few public opinions on Pilot sports. Woodless 2.0 will have a few.


This has been the worst fall in Pilot sports history...with the exception of volleyball. Very impressive.

Heading to Boulder on the 20th providing that there are no avalanches on I-70 between here and Denver.

Woodless 2.0 wrote:

Heading to Boulder on the 20th providing that there are no avalanches on I-70 between here and Denver.

Take the tunnel, avoid the pass.
Love the picture of TJ and Dex.

Woodless 2.0 wrote:  This has been the worst fall in Pilot sports history....

Your knowledge of UP history is obviously very short in comparison with some....

(BTW, UP's X-C team took 2nd to #4 BYU in the WCC Championships this past weekend).

That bad?! 2nd in cross country indeed sounds like worst all time along with that other year we didn't get 1st.

dholcombe wrote:That bad?! 2nd in cross country indeed sounds like worst all time along with that other year we didn't get 1st.

Actually, no Pilot runner finished ahead of any BYU runner.  BYU took 7 of the top 8 spots.  So it was not a close second.

up7587 wrote:Actually, no Pilot runner finished ahead of any BYU runner.  BYU took 7 of the top 8 spots.  So it was not a close second.

LDS = long distance superstars

This XC team won't make NCAAs. 66 points is a a lot of points to score at WCCs for any pilot team.

Pilotram are you coming to Boulder?