The semester has just begun, and one way to get through the rigors of academia might be by blowing off some steam with a nice cold beer and some fun in the sand.
Josh Vanlandingham and Sean Colwell have teamed up to create a “Margaritaville”-themed getaway right in the center of Albuquerque: the Sandbar.
“The idea is to make this place a place for activity, more than a bar,” Sandbar media representative Vanlandingham said. “A place to come and hang out and feel like you can relax for a little bit and not feel like you are in Albuquerque for a little while.”
The Sandbar houses three sand volleyball courts, a giant beer pong table, corn holes, dart boards and four pool tables. In addition, they tout a fully stocked bar — with 68 beers on draft — and, with help from folks over at Sierra Blanca Brewing, Vanlandingham said the Sandbar will soon be able to call itself a brewhouse.
The Sandbar takes pride in customer service, he said. Meaning, here, every patron should have a drink in their hands.
“There is the main bar, a patio bar, we have lemonade stands for Tito’s Adult Lemonade and shots. We have two beer carts. The idea is you should never have to wait too long for a drink when we are busy,” Vanlandingham said.
The Sandbar loves to cater to all their customers and offers some great perks to students, he said. Anyone with a UNM or CNM ID can enjoy happy hour specials all day on Saturdays.
As if their volleyball leagues, recreational activities, Sunday morning yoga on the sand and sports on big screens weren’t enough, the Sandbar is also a music venue. They host country, southern rock and reggae bands in true “Margaritaville” style, Vanlandingham said.
The bar is gearing up to launch its full menu in the next few weeks, he said.
“You can get beer everywhere, but nobody has the activity that we have,” Vanlandingham said. “We really want to be a getaway, right in the middle of the city.”
Ali Luttrell is a culture reporter with the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Luttrell_Ali.
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