Next time you stop in The Oxford Tap and belly up to the bar for a beer, know that you’re not just quenching your thirst in any old local tavern.
You’re sipping that ice-cold brew in Main Street Oakland County’s Business of the Year for 2014.
‘I’m pretty humbled by the whole thing. Really, I don’t know how to express it better than that,? said Mike Phipps, who co-owns the 36 S. Washington St. establishment with Louie Conley. ‘I’m so flattered. I’m just grateful that we were recognized. I’m happy that somebody noticed what we’re doing here.?
‘Amazing. Absolutely amazing,? Conley said. ‘It’s not something we thought we would have ever been up for. It’s probably the biggest award we’ve ever won.?
The Oxford Tap, open since November 2001, was nominated for the award by the Downtown Development Authority (DDA).
‘Through ongoing participation in and around town, this great little hometown bar and grill brings tremendous interest and vitality to our village,? stated the nomination form. ‘The Tap’s owners are standouts for their involvement in the community and (for) the manner in which they coordinate their efforts with those of other businesses, often other restaurants.?
For example, when it came to the DDA’s 2014 Scarecrow Festival, Phipps and Conley not only got into the spirit of things by decorating the Tap, they were ‘the first to volunteer and then set-up for the chili cook-off? featuring local restaurants.
‘Their delicious chili was a hit with the large, family-friendly crowd,? the nomination form stated.
The Tap is a consistent financial sponsor and participant in many community events such as the Lone Ranger Festival in August and the DDA’s Soup & Sweet Stroll in December.
‘They’re always one of the first to help us out whenever we need something done,? said former DDA Director Ginny Schomisch.
The Tap supports a number of other local organizations, including the Oxford Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club of Oxford, by hosting mixers and raffles.
The generosity and fund-raising efforts of Phipps and Conley have benefited many sports and clubs in the Oxford school district as well as local charities like Oxford-Orion FISH and independent youth athletics like the Oxford Jr. Wildcats football team.
‘I don’t think we’ve ever declined anything,? Phipps said.
Concern for people’s health and those fighting for their lives has led the Tap to host and participate in fund-raisers, such golf outings and motorcycle poker runs, to fight Multiple Sclerosis, raise awareness about breast cancer and benefit organizations such as the American Cancer Society and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The bar’s also a huge supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Phipps believes it’s only right for The Oxford Tap to give back in a big way ‘because the community’s been so good to us for 14 years now.?
Business at the Tap is booming, so Phipps and Conley plan to expand this year with additions to the pub’s main floor and currently-unused second story. This will give the pub more indoor seating, an outdoor patio area on the second floor along with another bar, an expanded kitchen and larger restrooms.
Conley views this Main Street award as a win ‘not just for us, but for the community.?
‘There’s more to do here than (in) a lot of communities,? he said. ‘It’s really an award for this whole area. People are doing stuff. There’s new places opening up. We’ve got (craft) breweries coming in. You can go to five, six, seven places around here and get a great meal. You can’t do that in a lot of communities this size.?
The Tap wasn’t the only Main Street award winner. Schomisch, whose last day with the DDA was May 15, won a special award for ‘professionalism and persistence.?