Don’t get frustrated if you can’t find J.W. Prepp & Company Ltd. from Park Avenue; after all, the bar used to run with the slogan “find us if you can.”
But after 28 years, apparently a lot of people, including athletes, neighbors and those looking for a free drink, have agreed the place is worth finding — even if it’s down an alley off of Park Avenue (between Culver Road and Berkeley Street) and hidden behind an Abbott’s Frozen Custard stand.
“We’re just Park Avenue’s No. 1 neighborhood bar,” says Bill Thomolaris, owner of Prepps.
The Place: Posters and bar signs fill the walls of Prepps, which surround a wood bar and seating areas, as well as spots to play pool and darts or watch the game on TV. There’s also an outdoor patio with tables, seats chairs and a street meat vendor.
The Crowd: It’s a lot of “fifth-year seniors,” twentysomethings working their first job out of college, and those living in one of the multiple units many apartment buildings in the Park Avenue area.
The Name: Regulars call it “Prepps.” The name J.W. Prepp & Company Ltd. came about after Thomolaris combined a friend’s initials (Jimmy Wilmot) with the name of a book, Preppy Handbook. title of a 1980 cult classic, The Official Preppy Handbook.
Team Sponsorships: Prepps sponsors softball, volleyball, dodgeball, billiards and other teams. Sponsorships includes T-shirts, pizza and money toward league dues. “If you go down to Cobbs Hill any night, you might just see all Prepps teams,” says Thomolaris. “We could go as high as 50 teams (in one season).”
More Extras: Prepps hosts various parties throughout the year, most notably for New Year’s Eve (which sells out weeks in advance) and for the Park Avenue Festival, when they set up a couple of outdoor bars and host bands.
Good to know
What: A “hidden” neighborhood bar.
When: 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday; 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Sunday hours expand to noon to 2 a.m. during the NFL season.
On tap: More than a dozen bottled brands and 10 draught beers
Drink of note: Jäger Bomb(s away)! The bartenders serve it with the real deal, Red Bull.
Drink specials: $2.50 bottles and $3 pints
Food: There’s a vendor serving street meat near the main entrance.
Free stuff: Self-serve popcorn
Music: DJs spin classic and some more recent hits.
Games: pool, darts, Big Buck Hunter and Megatouch, six flat screen TVs
Parking: Free. During a recent visit, a taxicab was trolling for fares.
Contact: 271-7925, www.prepps.com and www.myspace.com/prepps
