Author: Pam Aitchison

I am the owner/manager of Tavern Service, Inc. in Northridge and the creator of this website. Contact me with any questions.

Our Story

This is the post excerpt.

Tavern Service was started in 1955 by Jack and Gloria Heath in their garage.   In 1954, the laws changed for “Tied Houses” in America.   Breweries were no longer allowed to provide equipment and service to bars, taverns and restaurants in exchange for exclusivity.

Jack, as a former employee of Anheuser Busch, was approached by their Managers and asked if he would be interested in setting up a new company to service the bars and taverns that have formerly carried only Anheuser Busch products.   He thought it sounded interesting and Tavern Service was born.  From the start, Jack knew that providing the best service was the key.   He called the company “Tavern Service Company” and his slogan was “Service is our middle name: and he meant it.

In those early days, Jack repaired the equipment and maintained their equipment on a regular basis, and Gloria managed the business and did all the bookkeeping, as well as managing a growing family.  They soon discovered they had a loyal clientele.

As time went on customers would often ask if they carried the Carbon Dioxide (CO2) gas that they used for their beer systems, but he did not.   Jack finally thought it would be a good idea to provide that service as well, so one day he said yes, then figured out how to make that happen.

As the years went by more products and services were added as the need arose.    Now after 60 plus years,  Tavern Service  carries thousands of products and still prides itself on providing the very best service in the industry.

Jack and Gloria passed away many years ago, but they would be proud to know that Tavern Service is still going strong.  Today the business is managed by Jack & Gloria’s daughter, Pam and her husband John. The third and fourth generations are also deeply involved.  Robert, Jack’s grandson, is the General Manager and his great grandson, Jordan, also works for the company.

Although the business remains in the family,  we have a wonderful staff of 27 employees who are like part of the family.   We also treasure each and every one of our customer’s who are also part of the Tavern family.   We invite you to join us!

post

Hydrotesting

All DOT approved pressure cylinders require pressure testing at regular intervals.

All high pressure cylinders must be safety tested (Hydrotested) every five (or in some cases, 10) years. The test is designed to ensure that no unsafe condition exists. If the tank test date has “expired” it is illegal to refill them and not advised.  The test dates are stamped directly into the shoulder of the cylinder and is good for 5 years from that date.    (Note: there are special high pressure cylinders that qualify for 10 test intervals, but most consumer sized tanks are tested every 5 years).

All newly manufactured tanks are tested in the factory and may be warehoused sometime before being sold, so your tank will not have the full 5 years remaining on the test date.   We have a high turnover so your date will be as “fresh” as possible.

Getting your tank re-tested every five years is easy in our store in Northridge, California.  We can exchange your out of test tanks on the spot for similar recently tested tanks, and if necessary will prorate the $25.00 hydrotest fee accordingly.  ($.45 cents a month or $5.00 per year).

For all other areas,  hydrotests can usually be obtained at local gas suppliers that sell welding and breathing gases.   Please contact us if you need help locating a local gas supplier for hydrotesting.