Despite protests and coronavirus, taproom opens up in downtown Santa Rosa

James Holt and his partners are making a big bet on downtown Santa Rosa, opening a taproom Monday during? tumultuous times.

There’s of course the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Then civil unrest erupted downtown on Saturday and Sunday nights with people protesting last week’s death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. Santa Rosa officials imposed a curfew citywide Monday night beginning at 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday, and it will remain in effect for those hours until Thursday morning.

Still, Holt and his team opened their Flagship Taproom at the same spot on B Street across from Santa Rosa Plaza that previously housed Sprenger’s Restaurant & Taproom. Kevin Sprenger closed the bar two years ago after complaining of transients in the downtown area vandalizing his establishment, as well as customers who weren’t willing to pay for parking.

However, Holt doesn’t share Sprenger’s outlook for downtown even after the weekend protests and vandalism in the neighborhood that he watched through his outside security cameras.

“People are used to coming here,” Holt said. “We’re hoping that muscle memory is still fresh.”

This will be the second location for Flagship because it already operates a popular taproom in Cotati. Both taprooms are only now serving food and beers outdoors due to the county public health orders in force during the pandemic.

“We have just been really overwhelmed by the outpouring of our community who has gotten to know us since 2016 in Cotati,” Holt said. “They are like family at this point.”

Holt and Flagship business partner Robert Watkins also operate North Bay Brewery Tours, which has been on hiatus during the pandemic. They think their roots in the local beer sector should help them withstand the immediate disruption and later prosper.

They took over a lease a year ago but had to do an extensive makeover of the indoor space and kitchen. Holt didn’t reveal the cost of remodeling for the Santa Rosa taproom opening. The partners got a boost from a U.S. Small Business Administration loan that has allowed them to hire back workers at the Cotati location. Some of them are working at the new spot in Santa Rosa.

“Adversity creates strength and we are going to get through it,” Holt said.

The taproom opening is the rare bit of good news for the downtown business district since mid-March business closures due to the emergence of COVID-19 in the county. Santa Rosa Plaza, which got struck by vandalism Sunday night, has not reopened after a nearly three-month shutdown except for the Apple Store, which does curbside sales. Bistro 29 restaurant closed in April and Acre Coffee closed its Fourth Street location last month.

“I think it’s extremely encouraging,” said Peter Rumble, CEO of the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber of Commerce, said of the Flagship debut.

The chamber is working with Santa Rosa leaders to help close some downtown streets to car traffic later this month to allow more outdoor dining and shopping, Rumble said. That effort is in conjunction with the installation of more street lighting and outdoor art displays around Old Courthouse Square downtown, which is being shepherded by the Creative Sonoma nonprofit group.

“There should be a lot of people looking to get out and enjoy it,” Rumble said.