"It's been a weird time, because I wasn't planning on moving right now," says owner Kim Snodgrass. "Our landlord just decided that she didn't want alcohol in her building anymore. Very suddenly, actually."
See also: FoCoMX Proved Fort Collins' Potential as a Music Hub
While Snodgrass was "pretty devastated" about her bar's sudden lack of a future, she ended up finding a new place just a couple of blocks away, in the recently closed East Coast Bar on Linden Ave.
"Were pretty excited now," she says. "We're going to redo the whole thing. So new bar, new restaurant. We're going to do a bigger stage for bands."
Right now, Surfside 7 hosts local and touring bands two nights a week. And while the new space will feature an expanded menu and new lunchtime hours, music will still be the main focus.
"Fort Collins isn't really that big, and we have a certain niche that we fill for local artists and touring bands that aren't big enough to play the Aggie Theatre," she says. "We're perfect for that size of bands."
The new location will also have a new outdoor patio, a feature Snodgrass unfortunately just added to the old location. But she knows that life is full of unexpected twists, and now that the ink is dry on the new lease, she's just happy to be able to continue being a part of the Fort Collins music scene.
"We've just been getting tons of support from local musicians and our regulars, and they're pretty excited that we found a place to stay."
• BACKBEAT'S GREATEST HITS •
- 50 Photos That Prove Red Rocks Is the Most Beautiful Venue on the Planet
- Photos: Musicians Buying (Legal) Weed in Denver
- The Ten Most Underrated Guitarists in the History of Rock
- 50 Ways to Support Your DIY Music Community
Follow @Westword_Music