Carson City’s Historic Bank Saloon, formerly Jack’s Bar, opens after reconstruction
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Tue, 10/13/2020 - 3:55pm
After the Nevada Builder’s Association began work on the former Jack’s Bar site in May of 2017, construction workers and carpenters overcame many obstacles including asbestos, 300 residing pigeons, and historic Carson City preservation guidelines.
Now, the historic bar located at the corner of Carson Street and Fifth has reopened, softly, with a grand opening scheduled for November. The original name of the bar, the Bank Saloon, was restored in order to keep to its historic legacy, explained Aaron West, CEO of the Nevada Builder’s Association, which took over the operation.
Owner Richard Bragiel, who also owns local Italian restaurant Mangio Tutto Pizzeria e Ristorante said he became involved after watching the construction on the building after the past two years.
“Being in the proximity that I am to the Bank Saloon and watching the construction over the last two years, I found the idea to be very intriguing,” said Bragiel. “I’ve been in town since 2015 and would drive by every day and every once in a while I’d dig into the history and learn what this place was about. When I saw conceptually what they were doing, it was what I envisioned it to be as well. When we sat down to talk, we had the same vision.”
The building retained its original sandstone exterior, a cornerstone of early Carson City architecture, and inside there is a blend of upscale modern touches, as well as a distinctly Nevadan vibe, with many dark wood features and craftsman wood trimming in each room.
Each room also boasts artwork made by Nevadan artists, which came from the Bob McFadden estate.
West said that he knew right away that the tall walls would need an artistic touch, and he approached Bob McFadden’s son, who agreed to display a portion of McFadden’s extensive Nevadan art collection. Each painting depicts a different Nevadan landscape, bringing touches of the Silver State inside the bar as well as outside.
While the entirety of the bar was gutted and demolished, not including the sandstone exterior, West said they were able to salvage a good portion of the original wood, which was used to create the exterior add-on in the back of the building.
The back section of the bar can be cordoned off for private parties, meetings, and more, and the Nevada Builder’s Association will have its headquarters in the back office, which currently is functioning as additional storage due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The soft opening of the saloon is occurring now, and the bar opens at 11 a.m. However, patrons should understand that they are still stocking the bar (which includes selections from many local distilleries), and while they may not be able to set you up with every cocktail choice at present, by the grand opening they’ll be fully ready to serve the community.
The original plan was to host a Grand Opening on Nevada Day. However, due to current restrictions, the grand opening has been pushed to sometime in November. However, festivities are still planned for Nevada Day; the outside patio will be set up with music, and the Bus Boy will be on location to serve food.
Social distancing restrictions, including property wearing a mask, are mandatory for any patron who wants to check out this new addition, or, re-addition, to the Carson City Downtown landscape.
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