Beijing barscene stalwart and friend of the Beijinger Karl Long is preparing to leave the city this weekend to take up a new opportunity elsewhere in China. He'll bring down the curtain on his nine-year stay in the capital after his final shift at Great Leap Brewpub tonight (Aug 22).
Long has requested that his departure be typically low-key and has asked that people respect his privacy, and leave him alone.
The Irishman, 32, has been involved in some of the city's most notable bars in recent years, including five-time Sports Bar of the Year and Best Quiz award winner Paddy O'Shea's, Paddy's Irish Bar and The Pomegranate (later known as Pomme O'Shea's). He was also responsible for the short-lived experimental venture, Paddy's Pit Stop. Most recently, Long helped out in the management of the formidable Great Leap Brewpub.
The prospect of losing one of Beijing's best-loved pub landlords got us to remembering some of Long's inspirational words of wisdom, dispatched over the years to anyone willing (in some cases unwilling) to listen.
Karl's Philongsophy
On business:
"People say to me: 'Oh Karl, you're such a savvy entrepreneur.' I'm not."
"I'm a businessman, I always get a cut of the profits." (link)
On Beijing:
"How long will I stay in Beijing? I dunno, as long as I can." (link)
On expats:
"If some of these lads lived back home, they'd get battered for acting like dicks. But they stay here because they can get away with doing whatever the f%&* they want."
On friendship:
"Your 'best friend'? You have a 'best friend'? How old are you, 11?
On stress:
"It's hard to get me stressed. When I do, I wash glasses. It's great. I can take a break and see all the screens at the same time. Plus, I'm being productive." (link)
On his long-time collaborator Tom Cattanach:
"If he was a day of the week, he'd be Tuesday. And he looks like Splinter from the Turtles."
On vuvuzelas:
"They're very useful for pouring petrol from a canister into your car, which I discovered yesterday." (link)"
There will doubtless be many glad to see the back of Long (one city blogger referred to him as a "witless moron"), but there will be more for whom his departure will come as a sobering blow.
Share your favorite Karl Long memories below, if you want. A noted misanthrope, he certainly won't thank you for sharing them with him face to face, but does welcome anyone who wants to say goodbye to do so tonight at Great Leap. Whatever you do, don't say the words "leaving" and "party" in the same breath.
We'll play out with one of Long's favorite songs.
LadyMarmalade:
You apparently misunderstood the story. Karl Long, formerly of Paddy O'Shea's, and most recently front of the house man for Great Leap Brewing, is leaving. Carl Setzer, founder of Great Leap Brewing, is not leaving, and its operations will continue as usual.
Bye Carl, we'll miss you. Beijing will be a worse place without your brand of delicious beer, but at least we can still get craft beer at Slow Boat and Jing A. Also, I was sure you were American so thanks writer for setting me straight. Plus I prefer you with the beard so stick with it. It smooths out your features a lot.
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