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

CHARLOTTE — Thirsty Bird Bar & Kitchen, the most recent in a long line of neighborhood watering holes to call 208 S. Cochran Ave. home, is for sale.

"I think if the right person came along, they would see the value of it and the service it offers to the community for being a gathering place," owner Amy Ramos said. "Someone might find it's perfect for them."

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

Before it was home to Thirsty Bird Bar & Kitchen, the building housed The Rubber Biscuit Bar & Grill. It's also been Boron’s, Twigs, Sweetwater and Players — all bars that were, at one time over the last century, neighborhood watering holes.

Ramos and her husband Martin bought the 124-year-old, 1,850-square-foot downtown building in 2017 and since then have invested thousands of dollars, uncovering its historic elements, including brick walls hidden under paneling and soaring tin ceilings. Pegs they found in the wall, and other details, suggest the space might have been, decades ago, a carriage house, Ramos said.

"It used to look like somebody’s basement and now it’s a whole different thing," she said.

Highlighting its history was worth the effort, Ramos said. Over the last three years, the business has become a gathering spot: 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 isn't a stranger to the service or food industry; she founded Lansing-based catering business, Amy's Catering, more than two decades ago.

Running a bar and restaurant turned out to be something else entirely though, she said.

"It couldn't be more different if you try because, in the catering world, we make one thing for a client," she said. "In the restaurant business, you make different things for every person at the table."

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

"Both of our businesses were shut down and we had no income," Ramos said. "We had two kids in college."

The couple decided to harness their fear, pouring their resources and their own physical labor into updating the bar and restaurant, and renovating the outdoor patio at the rear of the property.

"We decided, 'Nope, we're going to make use of our time and we're going to do a renovation,'" Ramos said. "We tore everything out."

Looking for the right buyer

The bar and restaurant's staff of a dozen employees knows about the couple's eventual plans to sell the business, Ramos said, but day-to-day operations haven't changed: The Thirsty Bird still hosts trivia nights and live music.

"It's just been so awesome to get to know everyone in the community," she said. "The bar has been the conduit for us getting to know everyone in the community."

Real estate agent Elizabeth Fleckenstein, who represents the listing, said it's a hometown spot in the city's downtown.

"It’s a small-town local 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 building will come with inventory and the liquor license.

"They just have a huge community I know they would love to see that continue when it sells," she said.

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Contact Reporter Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com. Follow her on X @GrecoatLSJ .

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