The Swizzle Inn has been a staple in uptown since opening in 1996. Thanks to a new ownership group, this beloved, divey neighborhood bar will continue pouring drinks and serving holiday beach vibes.
POV Foods, the hospitality team behind staples such as Old Town’s Rusty Spur Saloon and Phoenix’s twee drive-thru and restaurant 32Shea, officially purchased the Swizz on May 19. The restaurant group announced the sale on Tuesday.
“The Swizzle Inn is the neighborhood’s living room,” POV Foods owner Bill Toole said in a press release. “It’s a place people come to unwind, share a story, shoot some pool. We’re not here to change that, we’re here to honor it and keep the doors open for the next generation of regulars.”
Beth Johnson opened the Swizzle Inn nearly 30 years ago in a nondescript strip mall at the southeast corner of Bethany Home Road and 16th Street. The Swizz may look simple from the outside with its windowless facade and warnings that there’s no parking for the nearby Starbucks.
Stepping inside, however, the bar is bedecked with playful details that nod to Christmas at the beach. The ceiling is covered with strands of tinsel and lights. At the bar, order a $2 brown bag mystery shot, cold beer or . There’s a jukebox where you can queue up Queen or Willie Nelson. Or you can grab your drink and sip it over a game of darts or pool. This fun, festive spot is one of Phoenix New Times' favorite dive bars.
POV Foods said it’s not trying to change the Swizz.
“We’re not some big corporation coming in to rebrand or remodel,” Annie Gaillard, the restaurant group’s beverage director and general manager of Swizzle Inn, said in the release.
That means patrons can expect the same folks behind the bar, the tinsel on the ceiling and weekly events like Wednesday trivia to continue on.
In February, Johnson posted the bar was for sale on Facebook. Now, the bar is part of POV’s roster of restaurants and bars that also includes Lakeside Bar & Grill in Peoria, Bill’s Grill in Prescott and Red, White & Brew, which has locations in Mesa and Prescott.
“When we commit to a place, it’s for the long haul,” Toole said in the release. “The Swizzle Inn felt like the right fit because it already has history and heart, and we want to help carry that forward.”
POV Foods, the hospitality team behind staples such as Old Town’s Rusty Spur Saloon and Phoenix’s twee drive-thru and restaurant 32Shea, officially purchased the Swizz on May 19. The restaurant group announced the sale on Tuesday.
“The Swizzle Inn is the neighborhood’s living room,” POV Foods owner Bill Toole said in a press release. “It’s a place people come to unwind, share a story, shoot some pool. We’re not here to change that, we’re here to honor it and keep the doors open for the next generation of regulars.”
Stepping inside, however, the bar is bedecked with playful details that nod to Christmas at the beach. The ceiling is covered with strands of tinsel and lights. At the bar, order a $2 brown bag mystery shot, cold beer or . There’s a jukebox where you can queue up Queen or Willie Nelson. Or you can grab your drink and sip it over a game of darts or pool. This fun, festive spot is one of Phoenix New Times' favorite dive bars.
POV Foods said it’s not trying to change the Swizz.
“We’re not some big corporation coming in to rebrand or remodel,” Annie Gaillard, the restaurant group’s beverage director and general manager of Swizzle Inn, said in the release.
That means patrons can expect the same folks behind the bar, the tinsel on the ceiling and weekly events like Wednesday trivia to continue on.
In February, Johnson posted the bar was for sale on Facebook. Now, the bar is part of POV’s roster of restaurants and bars that also includes Lakeside Bar & Grill in Peoria, Bill’s Grill in Prescott and Red, White & Brew, which has locations in Mesa and Prescott.
“When we commit to a place, it’s for the long haul,” Toole said in the release. “The Swizzle Inn felt like the right fit because it already has history and heart, and we want to help carry that forward.”
