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As students return to campus, Tony’s Pub-N-Subs looks to get out of the summer doldrums typical of college bars and build on the success it generated during the spring semester.
“I’m just really looking forward to the college kids coming back,” owner Tony Caruso said. “Since we started in January, it didn’t give me a lot of time to build local support, so the summer has been slow.”
Caruso said he was worried about college students driving away other customers when he opened the part-bar part-restaurant at 415 W. Haggard Ave. He was quickly proven wrong.
“You have a few kids every now and then that are an issue, but that’s just the way it is,” he said. “I’ve loved how cool everyone is around here. Some of the students brought their parents in over the summer and introduced me to them, so the personal side of the business I’ve really liked.”
According to Caruso, a lifelong Burlington resident, local townspeople have become more of a worry since the opening than students.
“I understand the town is trying to protect its own,” Caruso said. “They know I used to own a nightclub, and I guess they were afraid that I was going to bring that here. Hopefully over time they’ll know I’m not here for that.”
Caruso is aware of the difference and is therefore bringing a different approach to Tony’s than he did to his nightclub. Alcoholic Law Enforcement (ALE) has gone undercover to Tony’s several times checking for violations of beverage control laws, a step up from the one ALE encounter he had in three years of running his nightclub, according to Caruso.
“They’ve had a lot of undercover people in here but they’ve never found any alcohol violations,” Caruso said. “The town has kept a close eye on this place, and they’re trying to find something wrong, but hopefully over time we’ll build a better relationship.”
Alamance County Fire Marshal David Leonard did issue a citation to Tony’s for overcrowding May 1. According to an Elon Local News report, Tony’s was 270 people above its occupancy limit of 99, bringing the citation fine to $40,500.
Caruso said they are waiting for the mediation to take place, so both parties and their lawyers can talk and fill in details. In the mean time, Tony’s has submitted a new plan to have the occupancy raised above 200.
“It did get a little out of hand there with the overcrowding, but we are now more diligent in keeping the numbers where they need to be,” Caruso said.
With summer break ending and students coming back en masse, Caruso is looking to improve upon Tony’s current space by remodeling the restaurant area. Originally scheduled for the summer, the remodel will remove the current booth seating and replace it with tables.
“It’ll make for a more different setting,” Caruso said. “There will be more mingling with everybody instead of being stuck in a booth. More interaction is a good thing.”