Midtown Phoenix’s Swizzle Inn changed ownership last month, and its new owners are no strangers to running local bars and restaurants. POV Foods took over the neighborhood dive bar that opened in 1996 tucked into a corner of a strip mall at 5835 N. 16th St. The windowless bar with nautical touches is known for its holiday lights glowing year-round and its “No Starbucks Parking” sign out front.
“The Swizzle Inn is the neighborhood’s living room,” said Bill Toole, owner of POV Foods. “It’s a place people come to unwind, share a story, shoot some pool. We’re not here to change that, we’re here to honor it and keep the doors open for the next generation of regulars.”
POV Foods was founded in 2014 with plans to maintain and revitalize Arizona local haunts in the Phoenix and Prescott area. They also own Scottsdale’s Rusty Spur Saloon that has been pouring drinks since 1951, Mesa and Prescott’s Red, White & Brew, 32 Shea in Phoenix, Lakeside Bar & Grill in Peoria and Bill’s Grill in Prescott.
No changes coming to Swizzle Inn
There are no plans to change anything at the Swizzle Inn under the new ownership as the same smiling faces pouring your drinks, daily $2 brown bag special shots, the “catch of the day” and Wednesday night trivia will all continue.
“We’re not some big corporation coming in to rebrand or remodel,” said Annie Gaillard, General Manager of the Swizzle Inn and POV’s beverage director. “We’re local folks who believe in the power of community, and we plan to carry on the Swizz’s tradition of being a spot where everyone feels welcome.” The “come as you are” bar is open daily from 10 a.m. – 2 a.m.
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