Capall Glen Saloon

THE PLAN

Based in the cosy surroundings of the Capall Glen Ranch, our plan is to open a small, humble saloon to offer a slice of comfort and community in the heart of the Old West. The essence of our vision lies in providing home cooked, rustic and hearty food to locals and visitors alike, as well as drinks and tipples from across the county.

Capall Glen already embodies the community spirit, often welcoming strangers and locals to join hardworking ranch folk around an open fire. We want to continue in the spirit of friendliness by offering an open door to passersby and people from the surrounding towns.

The goal is for the saloon to be more than just a place for food and drink, we envision the saloon to be a hub for community life, a warm, welcoming space where stories are shared and friendships are forged. Comfortable seating, a welcoming hearth, and decor that stays true to the saloon’s humble roots.

THE MAN

Jack Craddock is an experienced publican from England. He has worked at some of the most reputable pubs in the country, The Globe in London Bridge, The Cross Keys in Seven Dials and even The Old Mitre in Hatton Garden. He has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to what makes a pub run smoothly and wishes to take his philosophy and apply it to the West. In preparation for this position, Jack took it upon himself to tour the many saloons across the county and see what made it's locals want to drink there. He also has experience working in the Iron Horse in Annesburg, where he had firsthand experience in the daily operations of a ranch on the frontier.

WHY THE GLEN?

This saloon, strategically situated on a well traveled road connecting the vibrant town of Blackwater and the western charm of Armadillo, aims to become a little sanctuary for travellers and visitors to the ranch, whether coming to buy a horse or having their horses seen by a trained veterinarian.

Its location within the expanse of the Capall Glen Ranch, renowned for its Mustang sales under the exceptional stewardship of Rina McKinnon, offers an ideal setting. The ranch already attracts people from across the county to purchase horses, we wish to expand upon that and give them a place to make friends, as well as a community spirit for those working on the ranch.

Visitors to the ranch often fall under European stars, so having a place to mix and meet others who operate on that time zone would give this saloon a particular edge. The ranch already has warm and good relations with surrounding businesses including produce ranches and businesses within Armadillo including drinks manufacturers like gin distilleries and the Dead Eye Brewers.

Ultimately, we want to be able to offer a friendly spot for socialising, community and fun centred in a spot interlinks many points of the western world. We even have a small train platform on the New Austin loop and having a saloon/eatery to add to the list of local businesses at Capall Glen would give people more incentive to use that service and help all businesses to prosper.

OPPORTUNITY

A pub needs good staff and this is no exception. With his experience in other famous pubs, Jack wants to give people the opportunity to learn the trade and have fun whilst doing it. This means that staff will receive training on not just the practical side of running a saloon but also the attentive side such as talking to customers and being respectful to all who come through our doors.

If we have outdoors dining, then we would take on waitressing staff to fit this requirement, making sure that customers needs are always our first priority.
Staff shall first receive an interview, which upon success shall turn into a one week probation period. They will be invited to shadow the lead bartender to learn the craft. Gradually, they will be encouraged to make supervised sales until they demonstrate their ability. Staff shall be paid on account of what they sell, determined by a percentage system. This will encourage them to help us make a success of the business, whilst also enabling them to work flexible hours. The ultimate goal is to have people working across the stars in order to make sure the saloon stays on for everyone.

Staff are expected to demonstrate a kind demeanour, a respectful attitude to all patrons, be timely & professional and shall be encouraged to expand their repertoire into such avenues of cooking, cleaning and event management. As well as activities such as pub quizzes and raffles, Capall Glen is home to many talented singers. Our campfire sing songs often stop passersby in their tracks… After a few minutes they’ll be sat joining us. We want to continue this tradition and focus on community, art and entertainment as a focal point. What better than a cozy winters story beside an open fire?
Depending on the building of choice, we may require security in order to protect from the wild creatures, in which case we would be looking to hire one or two members of staff to ensure patrons are safe.

LOCATION

Below is a diagram of the location, with the building we desire to utilise highlighted:

There are several small buildings on the location at the Northern side of the ranch which are currently unoccupied. They are empty and the doors are locked, we would be wanting to work with the construction team to work out an interior.

Inside the saloon would ideally be nice and cosy. A small, simple nook with a rustic charm. There would ideally be a small kitchen area, a bar, some tables and chairs, a hearth or stove, a small cupboard area for a lavatory and perhaps a little area for administrative purposes and staff meetings. If space permits, we would relish the chance to have a small platform for performing.

Below is a simple illustration which reflects that, whilst also being a size reasonable for comfortable movement and enabling patrons to have conversations in private when necessary.

COST

Whilst the current cost the saloon property is unknown, we would be keen to talk with the Real Estate Office to determine this price. Our launch plan is to have a minimum of $2500 ready at the initial planning stages, we would then talk with the REO about a possible loan in order to be able to get us up and running with the hope that our vision and enthusiasm for this venture shines through.

We already have really good relationships with local produce ranches and drinks providers and would look to get our produce from them, thus making sure that local businesses are sharing the success of the saloon. I also have a great relationship with Emerald Ranch and would be looking to purchase produce from their ranch as well. As well as regular hunts, we would be hoping to offer people fresh off the train a chance to hunt or fish and have their hard work rewarded with fair payment. The west is a thriving land for game, we want to ensure we take advantage of that.

Our advertising would be a widespread campaign of posters, word of mouth and gradually, we will work to sponsor local events such as horse racing or charitable causes. We hope that the passing trade, local workers and word of mouth will result in people wishing to visit the West, with our beautiful ranch being a shining example of community spirit. At the heart of this proposal is the keenness to provide others with friendly, welcoming service, not to mention a good local pub to reward themselves with after a hard days work.

EVENTS & IDEAS

A variety of events have been planned for this establishment, below is a list:

Patron Evenings: Encouraging patrons to share stories, poems, and songs, fostering a sense of community and creativity.
Storytelling: In London, storytelling on a cold dark night is an attraction that brings an audience from all corners, and where better to enjoy this than in the McFarland Valley.
Monthly Mustang Showcases: In partnership with Rina McKinnon, showcasing mustangs from the ranch, possibly with demonstrations or talks about horse care and training. Food and drink would be provided via the saloon.
Frontier Feasts: As well as our standard menu, we would be looking for producers and chefs to showcase their own recipes and products under our roof.
Tasting Festivals: Showcasing local breweries and distilleries, offering patrons a taste of the region’s best spirits. Patrons can experience the wide taste of drinks, be that a beer festival or a whiskey tasting spectacular.
The Great Outdoors: Whilst our saloon may be small, it sits in a wide open space. So alfresco dining and dancing would be something to consider, depending on the horses present at the time and their temperament.
Moonlight Masquerade: Under the moonlight in our wonderful surroundings, patrons will don their masks and dance until the early hours.
Murder Mysteries: A small event where certain members will take on characters and act out the events until the suspect is found.
Artisan Markets: Hosting local craftsmen and artists to sell their wares, from leather goods to homemade preserves, fostering local talent and commerce from within the ranch's confines. The saloon would be openly promoting this and catering to those who come by.
Seasonal Festivals: Themed around major holidays or significant local events, such as a Harvest Festival, Midsummer Celebration or a Christmas market, including the dinner, of course!
Outdoor Barbecues and Cookouts: Utilizing the ranch's outdoor space for large scale barbecues, perhaps even featuring ranch raised meats and cheese.
Mystic Nights: Indulge in the other world as renowned psychic Dr. Arnesto Monblanc will host seances and fortune selling from inside the saloon on special occasions... What do you mean you've never heard of him?!
Cooking Lessons: For those who wish to learn new skills, we'll offer live demonstrations of some of our more popular dishes for patrons to learn to make from the comfort of their own kitchen.
Petting the Animals: One feature nearby we would like to add to the ranch in general will be an opportunity for patrons to be able to pet the animals. The plan on the ranch would be for the livestock to be settled behind the saloon, so on special days we would allow people to experience getting close to some of our animals.

Roast Dinner: Ah the famous roast dinner consisting of Chicken (or beef), potatos, egg and flour(for the yorkshire pudding), carrots and onions.
Bubble and Squeak: A fried dish consisting of cabbage, garlic, potato, onion and carrot. You have to try it, it's so tasty.
Fish and Chips: With fresh fish caught in Blackwater, we'll be delivering an English classic of Sea Bass, Potato, Egg and Flour (for the batter)
Hunter's Haggis: With the Glen's Scottish roots, we have to include a native Scottish dish. We'll be combining Large game meat, pork and venison with onion, thyme and sage.
Campfire Stew: A traveller's classic consisting of water, Pork, Carrot, Garlic, Onion and Chilli.
The Ploughman's Lunch: Soaked with a mug of ale. Enjoy Cheese from the ranch, an apple, some bread and an onion.
Pemmican: A quick snack with it's roots in the West. A simple bit of veal, raspberry and animal fat.

People love exclusives and working alongside distilleries we would aim to get some special items for people to enjoy:

Golden Glen Ale: Our local beer produced by Dead Eye, which takes its name from our own ranch. It'd be golden in colour, slightly fruity and thirst quenching.
Red Renegade: A firey whiskey which takes its name after a redheadded ranch owner... I wonder who that could be?
Mustang Merlot: A light red wine which captures the power of our very own mustang horses!
Gin and Tonic: With locally made Gin, we'd be utilising the healing properties of quinnine with specially imported quinnine from the British Raj.
Balaklava Nectar: A unique drink crafted by the famous Alexis Benoit Soyer. Two lemons lemon, some sugar and white wine (or water), tossed in the air and then poured out.

SUPPORT & CONTACT

Below are some contact details and a few of our supporters.

Jack 'Tipsy' Craddock, Proprietor of the Saloon.
TEL: TIPSY
Rina McKinnon, Capall Glen's Owner
TEL: RINAMK

Cleaveland Moses - Blacksmith
TEL: CMOSES

Jones Smith - Cholla Springs
(peronal Tel. JONES, Ranch Tel.: CHOLLA)

Contact, Detail
TEL: TELEGRAM

Contactz Detail
TEL: TELEGRAM

Contact, Detail
TEL: TELEGRAM

CONCEPTS & ADS

We have a variety of concepts for the saloon's title:

As well as our poster campaign example: