Eaton County bar described as local treasure for sale to ‘the right person’

CHARLOTTE – Thirsty Bird Bar & Kitchen, the latest in a long line of neighborhood watering holes to open at 208 S. Cochran Ave. call it home is for sale.

“I think if the right person came along, they would see the value of it and the service it provides to the community because it’s a gathering place,” owner Amy Ramos said. “Maybe someone will find it perfect for them.”

Ramos always wanted to own a bar and restaurant. Now she is looking for someone else to take over the established business, which will continue until a buyer is found. The Thirsty Bird Bar & Kitchen is for sale for $375,000.

Before it was home to Thirsty Bird Bar & Kitchen, the building was home to The Rubber Biscuit Bar & Grill. It’s also been Boron’s, Twigs, Sweetwater and Players – all bars that were once neighborhood watering holes over the past century.

Ramos and her husband Martin purchased the 124-year-old, 1,800-square-foot downtown building in 2017 and have since invested thousands of dollars in uncovering its historic features, including brick walls hidden beneath paneling and high tin ceilings. Pins they found in the wall and other details suggest the space could have been a carriage house decades ago, Ramos said.

“It used to look like someone’s basement and now it’s completely different,” she said.

Highlighting its history was worth it, Ramos said. Over the past three years, the business has grown into a gathering place: a casual bar and restaurant that serves eight different burgers, embraces “taco Tuesdays” and supports the local school district’s sports teams.

The pandemic led to major renovations

Ramos is no stranger to the service or food industry; she founded the Lansing-based catering company Amy’s Catering more than twenty years ago.

However, running a bar and restaurant turned out to be something completely different, she says.

“It can’t be any different if you try because in the catering world we make one thing for a customer,” she said. “In the catering industry you make something different for every person at the table.”

In 2020, the global COVID-19 pandemic closed Ramos and the Thirsty Bird’s catering operations. Owning both became scary, she said.

“Both of our businesses were closed and we had no income,” Ramos said. “We had two kids in college.”

The couple decided to capitalize on their fear by dedicating their resources and their own physical labor to modernizing the bar and restaurant, and renovating the outdoor terrace at the rear of the property.

“We decided, ‘No, we’re going to use our time and we’re going to do a renovation,’” Ramos said. “We took everything out.”

Looking for the right buyer

The bar and restaurant staff of about a dozen employees are aware of the couple’s eventual plans to sell the business, Ramos said, but day-to-day operations have not changed: The Thirsty Bird is still organizing always trivia nights and live music.

“It’s just been great getting to know everyone in the community,” she said. “The bar has been the conduit for us to get to know everyone in the community.”

Real estate agent Elizabeth Fleckenstein, who is representing the listing, said it is a downtown residence.

“It’s a local, small-town treasure,” she said. “They have a really strong following. It’s just always a really fun atmosphere.”

And it’s a business opportunity for the right buyer, Fleckenstein said. The sale of the property includes the inventory and liquor license.

“They just have a huge community that I know they would love to see continue if it is sold,” she said.

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Contact reporter Rachel Greco at [email protected]. Follow her on X @GrecoatLSJ .

This article originally appeared in Lansing State Journal: Charlotte bar The Thirsty Bird, now for sale, says owner Amy Ramos