The Rum Bar, which offered mixology and fresh ingredients for cocktails, closed Thursday in Silverton and will be replaced by the Coffee Bear.
Lacy Archer, general manager of the Rum Bar, said Thursday was the last day for the establishment, which was in a three-story building – a main floor, a loft and a rooftop bar.
Archer said the Rum Bar struggled with inconsistent management recently, and that a bad year stemming from the lack of snowpack, the 416 Fire and subsequent floods and debris flows, which have closed U.S. Highway 550, played the biggest role in the bar’s closure.
The owner of the Rum Bar, Tony Berenyi, who lived in Silverton for many years before moving, decided it would be easier to rent the space than to try to operate the bar from long distance, she said.
In the past, the building has housed the craft distillery Montanya and Cafe Mobius.
Inga McFadden, owner of the Coffee Bear in Silverton, said she was looking for more space, and the building housing the Rum Bar, with about 2,500 square feet, will meet her shop’s needs.
“We opened up in November 2016, and we almost immediately outgrew our space,” she said.
McFadden said while she has not had a banner year in 2018, she’s confident about the town’s long-term prospects.
“Because of the situation we faced – the low-snow year, then the fire, then the mudslides and the train was on-again, off-again – it was a tough year,” she said. “But it’s going to get better. Silverton has plenty of things to do.”
The Coffee Bear, which features Kaladi Coffee, muffins, pastries, light sandwiches and soup in winter, also is in the process of applying for a liquor license.
If it gets the license, McFadden said, the Coffee Bear would start by serving Irish coffee and then consider expanding into a full bar.
“You can definitely say I’m optimistic,” she said. “Things will grow from here.”
parmijo@durangoherald.com
