🎉 36 years. Happy, grateful, and full of love for every single one of you.
Monday, June 1st marks our 36th year in business. I’ve been out walking this morning, turning that number over in my head, and wondering how we ever even made it through those first five years. They say those are the hardest in this business, and they were not wrong. But we did make it. And now here we are.
How we got here really does come down to one thing. You.
You showed up when the Chronicle ran our story about how no bank would lend us money. We came to work that morning and found so many of the things we had always dreamed of having, the tools and equipment that would make this place run the way we knew it could, sitting right there on our front porch. You did that.
When Tropical Storm Allison stalled over Houston and deposited an ocean of water under 59 and eighteen inches inside the Duck, we spent the night trapped inside watching beer kegs float across the room, wondering how we would ever open again. But when morning came you were at the door with wet vacs and mops and buckets and Clorox. There you were beside us, mopping and Cloroxing, and eight hours later we were ready to open. A full house and Reckless Kelly. We fell into bed that night after being up for forty eight hours and all we could think about was how lucky we were to have the people we have in our lives. You.
We spent the days before Harvey arrived surrounding the Duck with sandbags. Just as we reached the point of exhaustion we looked up and there you were, rolling up your sleeves. Of course you were.
When the pandemic hit, you ordered curbside dinners and bought gift cards and t-shirts and every other thing you could think of to keep us afloat. You thought of things we hadn’t even thought of ourselves.
And when the five-day freeze of 2021 left us in the dark, you were right there the moment the lights came back on. You always are.
But it hasn’t all been hurricanes and floods and freezes. You’ve invited us into the moments that matter most. The baby showers and the birthday milestones and the marriage proposals and the weddings. And the quiet tables where you came to say goodbye to someone you loved. We have been honored to be the place you chose for that.
If you find yourself in the neighborhood on Monday, we hope you will stop in for lunch or an early supper. Monday has always been our Open Mic night, and tomorrow we will be carrying on that tradition just like we have for thirty six years. Come discover your next favorite rising star. We have been so fortunate to have had some extraordinary hosts take that stage over the years, Will LeBlanc, Lisa Morales, Michael Stroup, Dan Crump, and the great Mr. Wayne Wilkerson. Wayne will be here Monday night.
Over the years you’ve said the nicest things about the Duck and all that we have done to bring joy into your lives. But here is the truth. It’s not us. You bring the joy. Every time you walk through our door.
Over the years we have watched some incredible young people come through this place. They waited tables and washed dishes and learned to pour the perfect pint while they were putting themselves through school, and then off they went into the world. They became teachers and doctors and lawyers and social workers and everything in between. We are so proud of every single one of our ducklings.
And we are so lucky that one of them decided to stay. Shane. He came to us a quiet, seemingly shy young man with jet black hair. Although still quiet, he is not nearly as shy, and that jet black hair has turned into a very distinguished silver. He has earned every silver thread. Steadfast. Shouldering the work that used to fall on us. It is Shane who makes it possible for us to sit out front in the rocking chair greeting everyone who walks through the door.
And speaking of Shane, he has come up with his own way of marking our 36th. This Wednesday night he will be behind the bar pouring the perfect pint of Guinness for $3.60 in honor of the day. We hope you will drop in for a pint.
So my friends, here is to 36 years. Thank you all for making it possible.
Love, Rusty 🥂
