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In the works: Bars and restaurants remodel
In the works Bars and restaurants remodel during pandemic lockdown
The upstairs seating area at Press Box sits empty. Warner said the restaurant is addressing certain health code violations cited by the Missoula City-County Health Department and hopes to be up and running by the end of July.
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David Erickson
david.erickson@missoulian.com
If there’s one silver lining to the lockdown that took place in Montana this spring due to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s that restaurants and bars that would normally be packed with people were unexpectedly empty and had time to remodel.
Quite a few establishments in Missoula County were able to take advantage of the quiet period to get some work done. Here’s an incomplete list (if your business remodeled and you’d like to be featured in the next issue, reach out to newsdesk@missoulian.com): • The James Bar in downtown Missoula remodeled a portion of the interior with a U-shaped bar and a slightly different layout. Owner Seamus Hammond said the re-design "doubled" the amount of bar seating to about 19 while keeping about the same number of indoor tables. "We brightened it up, livened it up," he said. The reviews from customers so far have been all positive, he added. • The Bum Steer in Florence went through a “refresh and slight remodel.”
• KT’s Hayloft Saloon in Lolo put down new flooring in the bar, new carpet in the casino, new flooring in the dining room, bought new tables, refinished the bar surface and “scrubbed the place spotless.” • The owners of the historic Missoula Club bar and burger joint, known locally as the Mo Club, invested in new paint and repairs, among other minor upgrades. • Red’s Bar put in a new floor and refinished the bar surface. • The Reno bar and restaurant in East Missoula went through a significant remodel.
• The Press Box in Missoula put in new flooring, new paint, a new bar railing and is completely remodeling the kitchen. The bar and restaurant shut down in December after the Missoula City-County Health Department cited the business for health code violations, but general manager Matt Warner said they’re addressing all the problems and hope to be open by the end of July. "We hope to be open in two weeks," Warner said on June 29. MISSOULA BUSINESS • SUMMER 2020 21
