MISSOULA, Mont. — The neon sign on West Main Street has been inviting patrons for beer, mixed drinks, and hamburgers to the Missoula Club longer than most of us have been alive.
Anyone who has spent time in downtown Missoula is certainly familiar with the Missoula Club sign.
“The neon sign has been there probably since the 20’s," said Missoula Club bartender Shane Kelly. "It’s a classic. People always stop to take a picture.”
Shane has been bartending at the Missoula Club for years.
He knows much of the bar's history.
There are older bars in Montana, but the Missoula Club has a distinction.
“It’s liquor license number one in the state of Montana," said Shane. “It’s been around since 1890. It’s been in this location since 1926. Five presidents have been in here.”
Shane shows NBC Montana a photograph of former President Bill Clinton when he visited the bar.
Shane is in the photo too.
It's named the Missoula Club, but most people call it the Mo Club.
“When you think of the town of Missoula," said Missoula Club co-owner Beau Anderson, " you think Mo Club.”
Beau Anderson, and his brother Colt are the Missoula Club's current owners.
Shane said the Mo Club nickname dates back to the days when bars were closed on Sunday,
“There was a group of guys that met in here and they called themselves The Mo Club," he said. "It was a men’s only club, That’s what it stands for. Mo Club. It was against the law to be open. That’s where the club came in. The men’s only club.”
“It’s weathered prohibition," said Shane. "Wars, the Space Age. And it’s still going strong.”
“It’s an institution. It’s like a time capsule," said customer Aly Barrett. "Some things have never changed here, or you get the feeling that they’ve never changed. The bar is old school and beautiful.”
“It’s Argentina mahogany," said Shane of the bar. "A lot of the old bars from that time were brought up from Argentina."
Famous athletes have been making stops at the Missoula Club for generations,
The walls are filled with pictures of athletes.
“I’d say it’s a sports bar," said Shane. " A lot of people say it’s a bar that appreciates sports.”
Years ago, former owner Joe Dugal had a football with the names of most of the Heisman Trophy winners of his time
Beau pointed out a faded photograph on the wall,
“That’s Joe Dugal with a couple Heisman Award winners," he said. " Like Earl Campbell and Roger Staubach. He had every Heisman winner sign the football except for two people.”
Beau said that football is now in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Shane said boxers used to train downstairs of the bar.
“A couple of top ten fighters, heavyweights were down there," he said, "At one time, one guy was involved in the highest purse up to that time, which was $55,000.”
Before Beau and his brother bought the club, they worked as bartenders here
“It’s a fun bar," said Beau, "The customers are like family. It felt better to own it than just work here.”
The Mo Club attracts people from all walks of life.
“We get all different kinds of customers,' said Beau. "We get students. We get blue collar. White collar. Every kind. A lot of tourists come through in the summertime.”
Being Missoula, it is a University of Montana Grizzly bar,
“I went to school here," said Beau. I’m Griz.”
But, he said ,the Grizzly's historic rivals, Montana State University Bobcats are always welcome.
“Yeah, Cats have money too. We’ll take their money," he laughed. " We just charge them double.
Beau said his family members played football for both the Griz and the Cats.
Dallas Burgess is another longtime bartender at the MO.
“If walls could talk," he said, " there is just so much that has happened in here.”
Customers can come in and sit alone and not talk.
That's okay.
But if you're up for conversation the bartenders are good talkers and listeners.
“We banter with the customers. I think that’s what it’s all about," said Dallas. "You've got to razz up the customers a bit. You've got to have fun with them, You've got to treat them like a friend.”
Aly Barrett and Nate McDaniel come in a couple times a week after work for a beer, and what they call the best hamburgers.
“If you come at night, it’s a different scene completely," said Nate. "This place can get kind of wild. But in the daytime it’s usually pretty calm.”
Dallas said it doesn't matter how old you are.
If you're a regular, or visiting after a long time, people often revert to their youth,
“I’m not very old," said Dallas. " But you think about all those times with your buddies that you used to have.”
“Yeah, it takes people back to a time," said Shane.
"I think people go home and they see Gramp," he laughed. " They’re like what are you hanging out at the Mo Club? And they think how does Grampa know about the Mo Club?
Grandpa probably has lots of stories to tell.
His grandkids will have their own stories to pass on.
