Ep69: Mike Shatzel - Cole’s, Buffalo’s Bar Scene, and 40 Years of Wild Stories

John sits down with Mike Shatzel, second-generation owner of Cole’s and one of the most respected figures in Buffalo’s bar and restaurant industry. Mike grew up busing tables at Cole’s at ten years old, played D3 basketball at Johns Hopkins and the University of Rochester, got an MBA, and came back to Buffalo to take over the family business. What he built from there - Blue Monk, ABV, Moor Pat, Moor Room, Colter Bay - defined an era of craft beer culture in this city. 

The conversation is exactly what you want from someone who has spent 40 years watching everything happen from behind the bar. Mike covers how he brought craft beer to Buffalo before almost anyone else, what it was like taking over his father’s institution, why ABV closed and what the restaurant industry is actually dealing with right now, the cook who stabbed him (and stayed to talk to the cops), how he thinks about theft prevention, what it takes to hire and manage the cast of characters that make a bar run, and the most important lesson he learned the hard way: spreading yourself too thin will cost you the thing you built.

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Disclaimer: This episode is for informational and educational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by the guest and host are their own and do not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Angles Podcast does not endorse any specific health claims, products, services, or treatments mentioned in this episode. Listeners should consult qualified professionals for advice tailored to their individual circumstances.