Paul Gillingwater’s intention was a soft opening of his Freely Taproom & Kitchen in September, to be followed in October by a formal grand opening of the South Tempe establishment.
That was assuming that everything proceeded on schedule.
Virtually nothing did.
First, kitchen equipment was late arriving. After delaying his launch more than a month, he opened but had to limit initial offerings to bar service for several weeks.
Patio furniture, perfect for the upcoming temperate autumn, also was delayed. So was the new electric sign out front. So service stayed inside while many patio-quality evenings were lost and Gillingwater was reduced to draping a banner across his entrance to let passersby know he was open for business.
The series of supply-chain issues were a serious setback that was compounded by difficulty finding good help.
“I probably had 10 people schedule interviews and then not show up or not call,” he said. “I was spending $200 a week just to advertise open positions.”
Finally, Gillingwater and a neighborhood hungry for a place to hang out got some good news.
The kitchen equipment finally arrived and food service commenced. Patio furniture now is in place and customers are enjoying mild spring evenings outside, some bringing their dogs.
And, finally, the new electric sign is up.
Time for that big grand opening?
“Naw, it’s been too long now,” Gillingwater said.
While there may be no grand opening, Freely’s opening was grand for a community that longed for something like a restaurant/wine shop in the wake of its uproar and unsuccessful effort to block the Take 5 Oil Change shop that opened across the intersection on April 21.
In the end, everybody won. The property owner on the southeastern corner of Warner Road and McClintock Drive got his oil-change shop, although he had to sue Tempe to get it.
The neighbors got their hangout, on the northwestern corner of Warner and McClintock, close enough to their homes to walk or ride bikes and bring their dogs to the east-facing, shady patio.
And Gillingwater realized his vision.
“I was driving around the neighborhood two years ago on Christmas day,” Gillingwater said. “I’d seen an article about South Tempe. I just fell in love with this building. It’s very distinctive, a great warm, inviting space. As I drove around, there was nothing. It was like a restaurant desert in this little area around here. I thought the neighborhood deserved more than they have. Everything just kind of fell into place.”
The icing on the cake for Gillingwater was that the neighborhood is affluent with disposable income, educated and hungering for this type establishment.
“One of the things I am excited about is getting to know the people of the neighborhood, and greeting regular guests,” he said. “It’s the connection I miss. I was more on the corporate side the last eight years, stuck in an office.”
He spent years working at O.H.S.O. Brewery.
The Freely menu, primarily sharables like meat-and-cheese plates and flatbreads, as well as salads and hummus plates, is influenced by O.H.S.O.
“This is designed as a place to hang out with friends in comfortable seating,” he said. “Share some food, enjoy a beer, or wine or a cocktail.”
There are about 30 beers on tap with a focus on Arizona products and a select few from California.
“It’s a pretty good selection,” Gillingwater said. ”That’s the neat thing. If I’m in the mood for a stout, I don’t want there to be just one stout. Try another one. Have some options.”
The one thing not yet open is the bottle shop adjacent to the bar.
“There will be a whole bunch of cans and bottles. You can come in and browse like a supermarket,” he said. “You can open them and enjoy them here, or take it home. It will be a retail area on premises.”
He also envisions weekend brunch specials.
Happy hour runs 11 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays, featuring $7 glasses of wine, $7 pitchers of beer and $4 off on house cocktails.
Tuesday specials include $20 for a pitcher of beer and a flatbread, $25 for a bottle of wine and a flatbread or $30 for a bottle of wine and charcuterie.
Take out orders are available at 602-960-6001.
“I’m just grateful that, fortunately, through all of this, the public has found us,” Gillingwater said.
More information: freelytaproom.com.
