Becoming the general manager of Tif's Ugly Mug following his graduation from William Woods in 2008, Brandon Tiefenauer is looking for new opportunities for the only bar on East 5th street. "I enjoy Fulton, business is good here ..." Tiefenauer said. Serving food once again, Tiefenauer added "we have a full-menu kitchen open till 1 a.m. ... we are trying to give people a place to relax."
While Tiefenauer is looking for new opportunities, local patrons have questioned the future of The Ugly Mug.
"People ask me all the time if something is going to happen," he said. "Tif's will not be closing; we still have another year on our lease."
Established in 1947 as the Tap Room, local Westminster alumnus Thomas Clapp, (class of 1979) said, "From its conception The Tap Room has fundamentally been a college bar." Westminster alumnus Chris Clinton owned the bar prior to Tiefenauer and the establishment of Tif's Ugly Mug in November 2005. Tim Henderson, a senior at Westminster College and patron of Tiefenaur's bar said Thursday, "the reason you see mostly students at Tif's is because of the cheap drink specials." Though historically a large population of college students filled the wooden booths and barstools of the Ugly Mug, Tiefenauer said, "We have seen a larger influx of non-students."