Mark Brown and Ryan Harris said they started out at “rock bottom” in the service industry — one washing dishes and the other making pizzas.

After graduating from Canadian universities with degrees in economics and finance, the two turned down careers on Wall Street this summer, deciding instead to run a bar in Chandler.

The day after moving to Chandler from British Columbia, Brown and Harris had Water’s Edge open for business.

That day, Oct. 17, the two began implementing their vision for the club — a live music venue with a focus on rock music for the 21-to-35-year-old demographic.

“We’re not Scottsdale, and we don’t want to be Scottsdale,” Harris said.

Water’s Edge is open every day from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. — longer for “Monday Night Football” — and seats up to 300 people, Brown said.

Harris said the club draws a significant college population, such as ASU Polytechnic and Chandler-Gilbert Community College students.

The club’s feel is unique compared with Mill Avenue or other popular spots, especially since it doesn’t play hip-hop, he said.

The establishment features a large dance floor and a patio on the shore of a lake in the Andersen Springs subdivision.

Brown, 24, described the club environment as a laid-back atmosphere for those who want to enjoy live rock ‘n’ roll, drink specials and great staff who know the regulars.

“We don’t have a pretentious attitude … between the staff and the customers,” Brown said, adding that a good staff helps to establish regular customers. “The best marketing comes from in house.”

Several factors can be tough for new Arizona liquor establishments in the current business climate, Harris said, including a rough economy and arguably some of the toughest DUI laws in the world.

But these factors can be a double-edged sword, he said.

For instance, nearby residents will likely choose Water’s Edge over clubs farther away to save on transportation costs, Harris said.

“The public transportation is highly inadequate to deal with the urban sprawl,” Brown said.

And the target demographic — including college students — is less likely to reduce their spending on entertainment.

“They didn’t take a huge hit on their 401(k),” Harris said.
Both Harris and Brown said they had plans to pursue profitable careers on Wall Street, but the prospect of owning Water’s Edge presented a more tempting possibility.

While getting the club off the ground with the new ownership is tough at first — especially with 18-hour days, Brown said that in the end, it’s worth it to do something he loves.

By contrast, he said others’ typical workdays might involve eight hours of sleep, eight hours of work and eight hours of rest and relaxation.

“If that eight hours of work makes you miserable, and you can’t enjoy that eight hours of R & R, then what makes life worth living?” Brown said.

Reach the reporter at matt.culbertson@asu.edu .