Iconic Campus Bar Raises Tuesday Prices

Two for one prices jump from $5 to $6 at the Hut

Nicolas SonnenburgTHE SANTA CLARAOctober 1, 2015  [dropcap]L[/dropcap]ibation-seeking juniors and seniors are now expected to pull a little more cash out of their wallets than usual every Tuesday at the Bronco Hut, as the weekly “two for one Tuesday” special has increased from five dollars to six.

For years, the David-sized cocktail lounge provided customers with two well drinks for five dollars.

Pairing nicely with collegiate budgets, this weekly special attracted crowds of upperclassmen to engage in bacchanalian festivities at the Hut on a weekly basis.

Now, a single Lincoln will not be enough.

Although the Hut has operated as a bar since the mid 1940s, the Tuesday night tradition began in 2008, according to operations manager, Daniel Johnson.

Originally, Santa Clara students came to wet their whistles at the local dive bar on Wednesday nights. However, non-collegiate locals and San Jose State University students caught wind of the tradition and began crowding the bar on Wednesdays as well. 

According to Johnson, the populations did not mix well, and in 2008, two Santa Clara students approached the Hut’s management, asking to change the special night to Tuesday.

Management obliged, wanting to please the loyal college patrons, and did little to advertise the change so that only Santa Clara students knew of the special.

Thus, the two for one Tuesday tradition was born.                

Until now, the price remained at five dollars.

Johnson cited increased rent prices and inflation as the primary impetus for the change, but believes it will do little to decrease the number of customers the bar serves on Tuesday nights.

“Really, it’s just fifty cents more per drink,” he said. “It’s still the best deal in town.”

Anticipating an influx of Santa Clara students on the first week of classes, the Hut announced the price increase on its Facebook page last Tuesday, encouraging customers to arrive early.

Nonetheless, the price change did catch some people off guard.

“My biggest problem was that it wasn’t advertised well,” said senior Gio Briggs, a Hut regular. “I paid for my drink that first night and hadn’t realized I’d been charged six dollars instead of five.”

The change seems to have little impact on students’ desire to come out on Tuesdays, as the bar was well-packed with over 150 customers during week two.

“It’s not going to change my willingness to come to the Hut,” Briggs said. “It’ll deter my willingness to buy more than two drinks. There’s something about ten dollars, which is a nice, even number. And twelve, which means I’m just going to have to carry more ones around. It’s just an inconvenience.”

Contact Nicolas Sonnenburg at nsonnenburg@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.