The Basement: same couches, new attitude
By Michael Cox
Lance Writer
September 17, 2008
 The University of Windsor student pub, The Basement, reopened on Aug. 31 under the new management of Nic Gesuale.
In the UWSA’s hunt for a new manager, they formed a hiring committee consisting of three UWSA executives and their general manager and operational manager. Among other qualifications, they were in search of someone with “restaurant sense,” explained Gooch. After interviewing five candidates, the committee decided on Gesuale.
Before accepting the position, Gesuale worked for 10 years as the owner and operator of Sam’s Pizzeria, a campus favourite and the oldest pizzeria in Windsor. “We could tell he had the passion, and so much experience,” said Gooch. “He has glowing references, I checked them myself.”
Gesuale discussed new ideas for the pub with enthusiasm, putting an emphasis on student wants and needs. “Every student should be entitled to have a pub that’s there for them,” Gesuale said.
Gesuale explained that the quintessential role of a pub is the food provider. “I started to adopt a menu that had quick service and quality foods … it is a slimmed down version of the menu that was already there.”
Gesuale added that the current menu is temporary, and to expect a new one in October and a permanent one in January.
Response has been positive, Gesuale said. The patio, tables and floors have all been cleaned, something that Gesuale made a priority.
There are also plans to install speakers and new lighting.
Declining numbers in the evenings and fewer people going to pub nights on Thursdays was a major contributor to the former pub’s decline. A confident Gulease responded to these qualms with vigour, “The nightlife is going to come back to the pub, that’s for sure.”
Whether the Pub succeeds is yet to be seen, and Gulease admits that this relies heavily on student turnout, “If they don’t come out to support it … the UWSA is going to have no choice but to close the pub down.”
In its previous years of operation, the pub had racked up almost $700,000 in debt, with students citing cleanliness and slow service as their main reasons for not offering their business. Unable to keep up with the renovation bill resulting from The Thirsty Scholar’s rebranding into The Basement, in addition to its substantial monthly losses, the UWSA made the decision to close the pub in April.
Last year’s executive board decided to close the pub. The current board wanted to revive it, explained Tiffany Gooch, president of the UWSA. This opportunity arrived in the form of an offer of partnership between the UWSA, the university and food services.
“At that first meeting I was very skeptical. It seemed too good to be true,” Gooch said, regarding the University’s offers.
The agreement they settled upon has food services receiving 15 per cent of the pub’s income, in exchange for the pub’s access to the university’s meal plans.
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