Henflings to Reopen in Ben Lomond: A Neighborhood Hub Embraced
New owners, Erin Maye Zimmer and Josh Miller invite you to the new Henflings of Ben Lomond
By Julie Horner
The new lease holder at Henflings, Josh Miller said, “We’re working through the final stages of the liquor license with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) and making sure our neighbors are comfortable. It’s our goal to distinguish ourselves from previous owners and really run it with some integrity and make sure that it serves the community. We feel it’s a really important hub for Ben Lomond. This is where everybody comes together and supports each other. It’s the life of the town, and one of the big reasons why we love Ben Lomond as much as we do.”
To have it dead…it’s eerie. Everyone’s kind of on edge. ”We’re definitely anxious to give that date but we also need to tread lightly. It’s not set by us, it’s set by the ABC and the State. We’ve done all the health inspections – we haven’t gotten the final word – and we’re waiting for some new equipment to finalize behind the bar – but we want to make sure we have everything dialed in for the inspector. There were a couple of things he wanted to see get done, but he was very excited with what he saw so far.”
Henflings Gets a Little TLC
It’s still Henflings – Josh and Erin did not want to take that away. “We’ve repaired or replaced everything but the kitchen sink,” Josh said. “Everything has gotten a thorough scrub-down.” More than one. Henflings was playing 99 layers of filth on the wall. “We have all new equipment behind the bar: Ice machine, dishwasher, commercial freezer. We’re actually waiting on another new sink. We’re re-doing all the lines, got all new taps coming in. We’ll still have the eight beers on tap that we had before, but we’ll also have IPA and ciders – Erin’s more knowledgeable about what’s popular at the moment.”
Josh thinks they’ll likely do a soft opening to get all the kinks worked out. They have a new point of sale system, and they’ve got some employees coming back and some who are new. The kitchen has all new equipment. Josh said it will surpass the old taco stand reputation in a big way. “If anyone asks, I’m a chemist…I’m just pitching in.” Everything that doesn’t have to be done by a contractor, Josh and Erin have done by hand. The floors are all new. They’re waiting for new lighting, especially around the bar area and the stage. It’s all been dialed in by Mountain Service Company, making sure that the venue doesn’t bleed energy.
The bathrooms are nice and sturdy now, both men’s and women’s got a complete overhaul with doors that actually close and a sleek vintage appeal. The fire department did some work on the electrical – they had to replace breakers for safety reasons. The ceilings are scrubbed and stained, but Josh said they’ve saved many of the dollar bills that were stacked up on the ceiling. “We wanted to retain part of the history. The lucky few – the ones that popped – got their dollars photocopied into new framed art in the bathrooms. You can’t actually use the copies of the bucks to buy beer, but the art is a nod to the old days at Henflings.”
Josh said they’ll have live music, mostly on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Barry Tanner is helping set the standard. “We want people to feel invited when they’re coming here,” Josh emphasized, “and a lot of that has to do with the atmosphere and the environment and the respect people pay to the environment.”
A Brand New Business
“We are starting a brand new business,” Josh said. “Erin has been behind the bar for years. I made up a 30-page business plan and the community stood up and said, ‘These are the right people.’” Henflings is owned by the Ben Lomond fire station and the original business was located up Love Creek. “It’s a legendary venue with a storied past.”
And they have amazing plans for the back deck area. They’re hoping to open by the end of November, once the neighborhood and the County are satisfied. “We’ve weatherproofed the windows and we’ll be dropping some sound-dampening curtains that go down after 10:00 pm. We’ll have a good solution for any local noise concerns. The liquor license is pending – we’re just about ready. We’re using every hot second that we’ve got while we’re closed to make sure we do as much as we can to the place, because it’s not going to close again if we have anything to say about it. Every day, every hour we have – we have a 4-year old – everything we’ve got is going into this place right now. This is the one chance we’ve got. We want to make a strong impression when this place opens.”
Follow Henflings Tavern on Facebook to stay up to date.
***
Have a story to share? The San Lorenzo Valley Post welcomes your Santa Cruz Mountains news, story ideas, photos, and letters. Send us an email.
Sign up for our newsletter to stay connected to news and events in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Julie Horner is Co-Founder and Editor for the San Lorenzo Valley Post. Julie lives and works in Boulder Creek and is an active participant in the county's vibrant music scene. She loves the outdoors and is the go-to expert on Santa Cruz Mountains hiking trails.
