By Angus Frame
The Edge is on the brink. The student-funded Edge pub is losing money and will close if it doesn’t start to bring in more cash.
Patrick Hynes, RyeSAC v-p finance and development, said that the bar has been losing money for the past five years, including $20,000 last year.
“The losses have been adding up and it’s not something we should have as a tradition. It’s not responsible use of student money,” said Hynes.
The decision to close The Edge lies in the hands of the Board of Directors.
Hynes said the Board will review the pub’s finances at the end of the first semester.
Hynes said that five years ago The Edge was a popular student hang-out. In recent years competition from the many other bars in Toronto has eaten into The Edge’s clientele and profits. Hynes would like to see the old, happening Edge make a comeback.
“My first goal is to promote The Edge pub. I’d like to bring it back,” said Hynes. “When you’ve got it packed with Ryerson students, it’s a rocking place.”
Hynes said it’s too early to know how well the pub is doing this year.
During orientation it was packed for a residence pub night and sold out for hypnotist Tony Lee. On other nights it didn’t do so well.
Hynes said that RyeSAC budget balances right now. Unless The Edge loses more than $10,000 to $15,000 the budget will stay balanced.
The big question is; is The Edge going to close?
“It’s a really hard decision to make – shutting down a university’s pub,” said Hynes. “We’ll see. Do we want to keep running a loss?”
The Edge is student space. If it closed, that space could be lost forever. The space is owned by Ryerson, not the students, and if it wasn’t being used as a pub the school would probably like it back.
About 20 students work part-time at The Edge. These student jobs would disappear if the Pub closed.
Marily Owston is the third Edge manager in three years. She’s held her position since June and spent the summer preparing for the pub’s opening on August 28.
Owston doesn’t want to say anything that might put the future of The Edge in jeopardy.
“I’m worried that people might see the article, decide the pub is dead and just not come,” she said.
Though unprofitable, a lot of students say they support The Edge. Kathy Klodas, a business student, considered the consequences of closing The Edge.
“I’d probably get better grades,” she said “but at the same time it’d be pretty boring because you don’t have anywhere to go between classes.” Klodas is like many students who frequent the pub during the day, but stay away at night.
It seems The Edge is the only university pub that’s busier at 11:00 a.m. than it is at 11:00 p.m.
“I don’t really go there, but I don’t think closing it is a good idea because it’s a place a lot of people go to relax,” said Cary Charlemagne, a social work student.
Hynes said turning a profit and saving the Edge isn’t impossible. “All we need is one strong pub night every week to make money.”
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