Three’s officially a crowd. Capital Region craft beer shop Pint Sized, which already has popular locations in Albany and Saratoga Springs, will be opening a third location in Troy in mid-November or early December—with a twist. The Collar City spot will double as a music venue.
The Troy location marks Pint Sized’s largest project to date, and will take over two empty storefronts in Downtown Troy, 275 and 277 River Street in Downtown Troy (the former of which was the long-shuttered but much-beloved bagel shop, Psychedelicatessen).
“I’ve been looking at Troy since as early as 2017, when I was scouting out locations for the first bar,” says Pint Sized owner and operator August Rosa. “I actually looked at the Psychedelicatessen space in 2018. It didn’t make sense to me at the time; I never felt like Pint Sized on its own carried enough weight. It needed to be more than just a beer bar, because there’s so much stuff going on in Troy.”
Hence the two-business concept in the Collar City. The doors to 275 River Street lead to the shop’s music venue, called No Fun, an open floor-planned arts space, accommodating roughly 150-200 fans; and the doors to 277 River Street lead to Pint Sized, which will serve on-premise tapped beer, as well as serve as a bottle shop with to-go sales just like Pint Sized’s Albany and Saratoga locations. (Rosa launched a mysterious Instagram page for No Fun Troy back in late June, and then spilled the beans on the new space on Saturday.)
Talent booker Shane Sanchez and sound man John Olander of the Super Dark Collective, which hosts shows across the Capital Region at venues such as Desperate Annie’s in Saratoga and Rare Form Brewing Company in Troy, will be assisting with the live music part of the business. The collective will host free weekly shows at No Fun, as well as a few ticketed events by larger touring acts each month. “I look at Levon Helm [Studios in Woodstock], with what they’re doing with the barn there,” says Rosa. “They have [indie band] Real Estate playing for 150-200 people.” As far as COVID protocols are concerned at the new venue, Rosa says that it’ll be a bit of a waiting game. “We’re rolling the dice a little bit here,” says Rosa, “but [the pandemic] isn’t going to last forever, so you have to move forward. People need culture and art and music and community.”
The Pint Sized taproom/bottle shop next door will start off functioning the same way as its Albany and Saratoga counterparts. Rosa likes that that storefront is strategically located near the stairway that leads up and down to the Troy Waterfront Farmers’ Market’s summer home and other waterfront-based events. “We’re going to be able to link up really well with Rockin’ on the River,” he says, referring to the annual summer event that takes place along the Hudson River in Troy’s Waterfront Park. (This past year, the event took place at Sage Park.) The bar will feature 12 rotating taps, in addition to a wall of more than 100 craft cans and specialty bottles. All products, with the exception of wine, will be available for on- and off-premise consumption. “We may do a full liquor license down the road, but things are looking pretty backed up with the [New York State Liquor Authority],” says Rosa. “As more and more inventive beers come out, the need for a cocktail program isn’t as crucial anymore, because some of these beers drink like cocktails now.”
Also, Rosa says that it’s looking likely that Pint Sized will have access to and use of the patio alongside the building by the spring of 2022. He’s hoping he can fit five or six picnic tables there for outdoor consumption. “I feel like Troy could use more outdoor patio space,” says Rosa. “I think people are definitely going to want it, especially being used to these street bump-outs.”
The deal was put together by Berkshire Hathaway commercial real estate agent Jesse Tranvaag, who was instrumental in filling the storefront across the street, coffee shop Jacob Alejandro, around the same time last year.
The space will be open seven days a week. Planned hours for the Troy location are Monday-Tuesday, 4pm-midnight; Wednesday-Friday, 12pm-midnight; Saturday, 10am-midnight; and Sunday, 12pm-8pm.
