Ode to a bar

A Farewell (sort of) to Oshawa's iconic Buster Rhino's

As the great Scottish bard Robbie Burns once said, "the best laid plans of mice, men and beer bloggers oft go awry."

I'm paraphrasing slightly, as he was writing in the Scots dialect so translation is sketchy at best. But the point here is that we writers - like every other damn person - have to adapt from time to time when the narrative of the tale we're trying to tell changes.

Case in point? The story of the closing of Buster Rhino's, my cherished local in downtown Oshawa.

Darryl Koster, that prosperous, pared-down and problem-solving publican, announced on October 7 that the downtown Buster Rhino's location would be shut down, with the last night scheduled for Tuesday, October 16.

I had heard the news the day before when Alex, the former general manager, had pulled me aside to tell me the sad truth. I won't say I cried - because it wouldn't be true - but I was certainly gob-smacked.

Buster Rhino's owner
Darryl Koster

I was also certain I had to write about it, and after getting some advice from my pal Don - who had to pen a goodbye piece after his cherished Rib-Eye Jacks in Burlington closed its doors just shy of a year ago - I set about trying to interview as many people as I could find who had ties to Buster's.

I had spoken to a half-dozen people  - with more stories on the way - when I heard whispers that the staff had offered Darryl a proposal: they would run the place while Darryl negotiated with a few parties interested in buying the restaurant.

The fact the lease is paid until July was probably an excellent selling point.

By Tuesday, the final night for Buster Rhino's in Oshawa, the rumours were privately confirmed, though it wasn't until the next day that it was made official.

"The staff of our downtown location is ecstatic to announce they will be taking over the management of this location and will remain open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 4 pm to midnight. Profits from this arrangement will be shared amongst the new management team."

The first night under the new deal was Thursday, October 18. Just in time for comedy night. And yeah, I was there.

In the meantime I had all those interviews to sift through. There was a lot of heart-felt emotion in the stories I heard, and even a few tears. And with this new arrangement being only a short term solution - probably until the end of the Christmas season - the future of Buster Rhino's in downtown Oshawa is still very much in the air.

Mrs. Buster Rhino's herself, Beth Koster

So I decided those stories deserved to be told.

This, then, is a look at the 'final' week of Buster Rhino's in Oshawa.

Wednesday, October 10

This is the night shit actually got real for me. I dropped in just before the end of Beer Sessions, the monthly 'beer club' run by Sheila Mazur, a certified BJCP judge and a dear friend.

Sheila, who has been into craft beer since way back in 2002, started coming to the bar initially for the tap takeovers - "a great way to meet the brewers and try new beers" - and stayed because of the support she and her wife Tracy received from Darryl. "I felt I had a warrior at my back."

The news of the bar's closing hit her hard. "This is the Oshawa Cheers for me. This is the place where everyone knows my name. I know I can come here and bullshit and I always know somebody. And," she said with her trademark huge smile, "I can get out of my wife's hair."

Willow Parker has known Darryl since they were both 17 and she remembers the place even before it opened. "My first memory here is (Darryl's son) Jackson, who was about three, riding a pump truck through the bar."

"There are so many memories here," she added. "I'm incredibly sad it's closing. I can walk home from here - this is my local."

"Darryl is one of my very best friends and I understand it's a business decision. But I thought this would last forever."

Thursday, October 11

The next night - Comedy Night at the club - I popped into the bar after my delivery shift and immediately ran into the dangerously awesome Sarah, an original employee, a long time favourite of this blog (her first appearance was September 26, 2014 in Not a normal beer festival) and former manager who made a triumphant return to the bar earlier this year.

The incomparable Sheila Mazur

Sarah Healy wasn't in a memory sharing mood - "you're not writing about my best memories here," she said before breaking out in that laugh of hers that was voted #1 Laugh in Craft Beer three years running. "I worked the first shift here, and I'm going to work the last."

The lovely Brittni was also working this night, and promised me some words of wisdom the next time I saw her, so there wasn't much quotable this night. But there was a melancholy mood to the evening, as many of the comedy regulars were thinking it was the last time they would see funny people at Buster Rhino's.

My pal Lincoln Trudeau (the most historically political name ever), was performing that night and sent me a message a couple of days later after he heard the news.

"Always liked the place," said the actor/stand up comic, who was a high school intern at the Bay News, the Ajax-Pickering newspaper I worked at in the early 90s. A former intern who is now 40. Way to make me feel old, Lincoln.

He was surprised when he heard the news - "Damn! It just seemed to come out of nowhere" - and a little ticked he wouldn't get to perform there again.

"I'll be out of the area until it's closed. I had no idea this past Thursday would be my last."

Friday, October 12

I made only a brief appearance this evening, as I was working and close to flat broke. When I chose to visit my local every day for a week (for professional purposes) I forgot to factor in the expense required for that (professional) dedication.

Amber Knapp and her mother
Shannon Lahaye. Two amazing women

So a half-hour gab while I waited for my next call would have to do on this night. Darryl was there, so I extracted another tidbit or two about the closing, and so was my union enforcer pal Joe, fresh from dishing out the elbows (*disclaimer: there were no actual elbows dished*) to union-busters in Gander, Newfoundland. It was nice to catch up with Joe, who joined our motley crew for the Whitby Craft Brewery Invasion 2017 last December.

And Shannon Lahaye was there. Shannon, a former employee (at both ends of the house), is my technical troubleshooter (I so need help), my confidante and occasional life coach and a cherished friend, so it's always super cool to spend time with her.

She's also my accountant and knows all my financial secrets, so I have to say nice things about her.

Saturday, October 13

I was expecting this to be the big party - I said no to an offer to do a brewery tour of Prince Edward County with Willow and her friends to be here - and while the place wasn't jammed, it was busy and most of the regulars - my friends - were in attendance.

It's also when I had a chance to talk at length with Darryl about his decision.

"I've just been too busy in Whitby," he said. He also discovered the more time he spent at the Wentworth Street location - where he produces rubs, spices, beef jerky, pig candy (and other tasty stuff) for the retail industry, as well as all the smoked meat for the two restaurants - the more he could accomplish. "I wanted to focus my efforts on the retail business, which really has no limits."

"I would love to see this continue," he said, waving his hands around the restaurant, noting there were several serious bidders looking to buy the business.

A foodie first, Darryl opened the downtown Oshawa Buster Rhino's to "teach Oshawa customers about good southern barbecue," but it ended up being a destination for craft beer, whisky and a good laugh as well.

"It was the right move at that time. It was one of the great corners in downtown Oshawa and we realized it could work."

Our pugnacious, pixelated and pork rind-loving publican said he was proud of some of the things he and his staff were able to accomplish in the six-plus years Buster's has been in Oshawa, from barbecuing a whole alligator outside the restaurant to introducing craft beer and comedy to the city's downtown.

Shannon Clancy and Brittni Morgan. Two of my very
favourite peoples

"I've met some incredible people," he said. "I was also able to feed a lot of people and that makes me happy."

Perhaps the biggest legacy started by Darryl and his team - and one that is expected to continue - is the Durham Craft Beer Festival, which was introduced to downtown Oshawa in 2014.

I've been to all six incarnations of the event, with the last two as either an employee or a volunteer, so I have many fond memories - yes, I remember everything - of this annual party.

So does Riley Burnett, a Vet Tech student who spends most summers back in Oshawa working the kitchen at Buster's.

"The best memories always involve the beer festival," he said. "I think it was the third festival and it was an absolute blast. After working like mad all day in the kitchen ... I was happy to be done with work that day."

"I remember sitting down and having a fantastic night drinking and laughing all the way to close with Shannon, Jessica and many others. It had to be one of the best nights I've ever had at Buster's."

"There was another time we were celebrating Shannon's birthday," he continued. "Lots of old faces came out to celebrate and it was made even better as we had live music that night from Troy and Bernie, who sang 'Asshole' by Denis Leary while taking hits of helium. To cap it off they sang 'Stacy's Mom' but they modified it for Shannon and instead sang about Amber's Mom. It was a great night. We had many laughs and made memories that will last a lifetime."

Adam (Almost The Mayor) Kunz

Speaking of Shannons, the second Shannon (Clancy) in my life was in attendance Saturday and she said she would miss Buster's plenty.

She had a brief run as a server at the bar - "when Darryl found out I worked at a bank and could count change he was thrilled" - and remembered a first date at Buster Rhino's that didn't go so well.

"It was an awful first date and my server saved me," she said smiling.

Quite a few regulars were here on the final Saturday, including my friends Jeff Davis and Adam Kunz, who both gave me quotes not fit for a family blog.

Not that this is a family blog.

But Brittni Morgan was there, and as she wasn't working she was in a talkative mood.

"I wouldn't have met all the people here if it wasn't for this place," she said, her flashing dimples perfectly punctuating her thoughts. "I wouldn't have met you or Jeff or Cal and everyone else. And I'll always cherish that."

"Darryl took a chance on me - I had never served before," she added. "He asked why I wanted to work here if I was a teacher. 'Cause I want a house,' I told him. He said 'You know, I like you. You're hired.'"

"And we kinda have similar personalities so we've butted heads ever since."


Sunday, October 14

Aahh, this was the night the @BrewCrue gang - a five-seventh share of it, anyway - assembled at Buster's for a goodbye drink.

Candice being Candice after a hot day
volunteering at the Durham Craft Beer Festival

Paul put the call out first for a Sunday meet-up on Facebook and got quick responses from Candice, Joe and Josh. As I had pledged (professionally) to be at Buster's every night until it closed, I didn't think it required me to respond. But I did anyway because I am not nothing if not polite.

The only people missing from the reunion of the Whitby Craft Brewery Invasion, a truly memorable brewery tour (there was a limo!) that took place last December, was the videographer extraordinaire Hago and my old college chum Don. As they live in Barrie and Oakville, respectively, I suppose they can be excused.

Josh and I naturally talked about our shared birthday coming up in a week, and we all shared memories of last year's party (there was a limo!) and started making plans for an encore.

Candice Lootsma, clearly bored by all our birthday talk, said she had been coming to Buster's at least as long as I have (probably longer) and remembers being introduced to the place by her flyboy boyfriend, Chris, who had met Darryl earlier at an aviation event. She remembers birthday parties here ("surprise!") and volunteering shenanigans at the festival most of all.

And us too, I suggested. "Yes. You too," she agreed.

Shannon (Clancy) was there as well and I would discover (five minutes after Josh left) that she was also born on October 22.

What are the odds?

My favourite bank teller (and now birthday friend for life) was sitting at the bar with Adam, who was showing no signs of nervousness despite being in the middle of the municipal election campaign and therefore the final week in his quest to be Mayor of Oshawa.

The @BrewCrue reunited (most of 'em) from last December's
Whitby Craft Brewery Invasion

Less than a week later we would learn my pal - who didn't put up a single sign - would convince 1,057 people that he was worthy of running our city, based solely on scientific logic, common sense and dashing good looks.

I voted for Adam, which proves why voting is so important. If I hadn't cast my ballot? 1,056.

That's power, people.

Monday, October 15

I had just time (and cash) for a half-pint, which was good because I just snuck in at last call and only got my beer - Double Clutch from Redline, which I'd been drinking all week - because Shanice Hart loves me or took pity on me. Either way, I got my beer.

Shanice, along with Sarah and Brittni and Andrew in the kitchen, make up the foursome that will be managing Buster Rhino's going forward, but it wasn't official - or even well known - on the second-last day of the bar's scheduled life.

Still, the whispers were getting louder and the regulars there this night - Shannon (Lahaye), Adam, Willow and others - all knew the score by this time, which made the vibe a little weird.

Weirder than normal, that is.

Tuesday, October 16

Shanice Hart. A Super Woman who continues to work despite
blowing her ACL, MCL and all her other CLs

Full house tonight for the last night. Most of the people I've talked about over this last week were there. Some knew the closing would be for just one day; others had no idea and were feeling a bit nostalgic.

Cal, who until recently was Darryl's #1 customer, was here this night, which was cool because I hadn't seen him in weeks. Work, he said, citing plenty of lucrative overtime lately at GM as his excuse.

I resisted the urge to get him to buy me a beer.

Dave, the Mad Brewer from Falcon, was at the bar as well, and we chatted a bit about all things beer with Darryl, and even clarified rumours about Falcon's expansion plans.

Darryl, meanwhile, confirmed that staff was looking to take over management of the bar, with the first night scheduled for Thursday night, but said it was not a done deal, noting that the contract had yet to be signed.

Strange vibes indeed. But most of us ignored the chatter for one last night and we stayed well past close to say goodbye anyway.

Open for business

Sarah Healy with former manager
(best boss ever!) Jessica Billingham

Two nights later, as promised, Buster Rhino's was back slinging suds and serving up barbecue goodness. Sarah was behind the bar when I walked in just before nine and I asked her what the short-term future of the new management structure was going to look like.

Is being open just three nights a week viable?

"We will see," she said, adding that they were looking at opening on other nights as well. "I'd like to open once a month on Wednesdays for Beer Sessions and we're looking to do private functions too."

"Like Christmas parties?" I asked.

"Exactly like Christmas parties," she answered.

Sarah has already been reaching out to brewers like Rainhard and Blood Brothers of Toronto to get some new beers in, so I'm feeling upbeat that this team will make this work.

All three women at the front of the house have already accomplished great things: Sarah, just 28, has travelled half the world and is in the middle of the nursing program at Durham College; Brittni is a teacher and dreams big (the house thing was just the start); and Shanice is a personal trainer, a kinesiology student and someone who just generally kicks ass. Andrew is a top notch cook as well with a wealth of experience running busy kitchens.

They're also super awesome people and my friends, so if anyone can do this up right, they can.

I will, of course, do my share by drinking their fine ales and eating their delicious food as frequently as economically possible.

For professional purposes.

Cheers!