A Publick Q&A: William Oliver’s

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Yellow Scene talked to one of the coolest bars in the area to get the scoop on what’s truly great about a truly great bar like William Oliver’s Public House. Check it out:

Yellow Scene: First, Thanks for talking to Yellow Scene. Can you tell us about the origins of your space, how long you’ve been around, and what the spirit of your place is? What vibe or what type of experience do you want to have one to visit your space.

Publick House: We are a locally owned and operated pub. Tiffany (Loveland native) and Ryan (Denver native) opened the doors of William Oliver’s in 2013 in Fort Collins. In 2016 they teamed up with long-time friend Michael (Gunnison native) to broaden the brand and expand to a second location in Lafayette. Guided by the concept of supporting other local businesses, William Oliver’s focuses on carrying a vast array of Colorado-made products. William Oliver’s is a neighborhood pub where everyone knows your name. Laid back and casual is the vibe.

YS: What is the general theme of the PH? Do you want me to come in and feel very BoCo, extremely Denver, Country, Urban, positive? It could be anything you want. Basically I’m asking how do you define your space.

PH: We have two general themes, first, it’s a “Colorado Pub”. Think Irish pub, but a focus on Colorado-made products. We wanted to create a space that is well-designed and nice, but leaves the pretentiousness at the door. Something we think most people love about Colorado as a whole. Second, we are bacon and whiskey focused. We believe that small-business can only compete against large chains by finding a niche and focusing on it. Ryan raised pigs growing up. He and Tiffany developed a passion for whiskey 14 years ago. It was natural to combine these two ideas.

YS: What are the reasons we should visit your bar as opposed? What are your standouts, what are the things we’re going to leave with and remember and want to come back for?

PH: Our concept is unique to the US as a whole. We adopted the true gastro-pub style from Ireland and Scotland. This means we aren’t full-service dining, but we also aren’t just a bar. First-time customers tend to not quite understand our laid-back approach at first, but once they “get it”…man do they get it. Sit all day reading a book and sipping on water, or buy the most expensive whiskey we have and you will still be equally welcomed. Think of the pub as a community space that just happens to have waitstaff to get you some food and drink too.

YS: What night should we come party and which nights can we come relax?

PH: Life in the pub is a bit unpredictable because the mood depends so much on what the community is doing at any given moment. Unlike a traditional restaurant, the pub can spring into a full-blown party on an otherwise sleepy Monday. That being said, Friday evening tends to be a bit of a hustle. However, we are open until 2am seven days a week and typically have people relaxing with a beer or cocktail right up until closing time.

We let our customers be the entertainment and diversions. No TVs, no live music, “just” good food, great drinks, and wonderful people. We have a library for small groups who want to have a more private experience and two patios (street-level and rooftop) for the true Colorado experience.

YS: Finally, any current drink specials, because we’re definitely interested in a sip?

PH: With 400 whiskeys on the shelf, any drink can be special. We are particularly excited about our Smoked Old Fashioned using Laws (Denver) 4 Grain Whiskey. We char a whiskey barrel stave for the creation of this cocktail…which makes it not only taste amazing, but it’s fun to watch the cocktail being made.

William Oliver’s is located at 201 N. Public Rd, Lafayette, CO.
They’re open 7 days a week, 11am daily, which means you’ll probably find our staffers tossing a few back in this gorgeous community space.