Old Bar, New Look

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By Bobbi Mlynar (Contact)

Originally published 10:55 a.m., September 22, 2007
Updated 10:55 a.m., September 22, 2007

Photo by Carly Pearson

In the backroom of The Noose is a snooker table.

New owners are bringing a new look and a somewhat new name, to what may be Emporia’s oldest continuously operating bar.

S.C. Dixon, Joe Reed and Bernie Toso bought The Lariat Lounge, 323 Commercial St., in April. And, though they changed the name to “The Noose” — which, along with “The Rope” had been The Lariat’s long-standing nicknames — the old neon sign with its mounted cowboy lassoing a calf remains in place over the new rustic facade. The partners formed a corporation to own the bar, The Lariat, LLC.

They had planned to do a little sprucing up and re-open in a week or two, Dixon said. But one project led to another, and the re-opening pushed back into July as they worked to rejuvenate another piece of Emporia’s business history.

Photo by Carly Pearson

Joe Reed, left, and S.C. Dixon are two of the three owners of The Noose at 323 Commercial St. Bernie Toso is the third owner.

“This is — I am told — the oldest continuously run bar in Emporia,” Dixon said.

According to old Polk City Directories, the building apparently was home to the Falls City Creamery Company in the early 1940s. By the mid-40s, it had become the Steines Tavern and in about 1950-51, it became The Lariat.

Photo by Carly Pearson

The bar at The Noose has new glass racks and cabinets.

Because of its long presence in the downtown area, and the minimal changes that had been made, the bar held potential to restore some of its original parts.

“Boy, it’s been a job, I’m here to tell you,” Dixon said of the work that has been done and that which remains.

The men and their helpers early in the renovation began cleaning the bar’s tongue-in-groove, routed pine walls. Dixon had told one of the helpers to run a sponge mop from the bottom to the top and back down again as she cleaned. At the top of the stroke, he said, the girl called out, “Now what?” He turned to see that the mop was stuck firmly to the wall because of the tar and nicotine accumulation from over 65 years of hosting smokers.

“We bought every sponge mop in Emporia,” Dixon said, grimacing at the memory.

The results were worth the effort, though. The warm tones of the restored walls and the carved crown moldings above them hold pieces of the owners’ personalities.

The Toso area in back features a 1930’s Brunswick snooker table that has stood in the bar for years, and a variety of sports memorabilia and equipment; another section, decorated to Air Force veteran Reed’s tastes, honors veterans in all branches of military service. The front area reflects Dixon’s interest in music and art. The walls hold guitars, a banjo, reed instruments, and horns donated by Flint Hills Music and local musician Bob Haselhuhn, as well as photos and collages of performers. The music area, where live performances take place, segues into an exhibit of artwork, including Dixon’s own photos, some from his private collection, and a collage of photos of the late Rex Hall, a friend and artist admired by Dixon.

Electrical wiring and plumbing also were part of the improvement plan. New high-velocity fixtures have been installed in the scrubbed and newly painted restrooms, which sport “gentlemen” and “women” signs from a subway in Great Britain.

The massive furnace has been put into full use, Dixon said. A heating and air conditioning serviceman who was repairing the furnace asked Dixon about a duct that appeared to be closed over. Once its covering was removed, air blasted through the ductwork and came out a series of ceiling vents that apparently had not been used for years.

“They just fired off. Poof! Poof! Poof!” Dixon said, using his hands to illustrate the dust that rained down from each vent. Now, air is disseminated comfortably throughout the bar instead of shooting out from one powerful outlet from back to front.

New sinks, an ice machine, tables, chairs and a spacious walk-in cooler also have been added.

The bar itself has been rebuilt and a digital jukebox gives customers a connection to access favorite songs on the Internet. The bar also is wi-fi hot, Dixon said.

Along the south wall, the partners have installed three plasma televisions and new mirror-fronted upper cabinets with counters, shelves, and cabinets below to accommodate a greater selection of spirits. Above the bar hangs a large, new rack to hold stemware.

“I’d like to see a time when we’ve got a nice barbecue sandwich here,” Dixon said, as thoughts turned toward the future.

The men hope to achieve a pub atmosphere at The Noose, with fresh coffee and bottled teas available.

“A pub is a public house,” said Dixon, who is a frequent visitor to the British Isles. “They don’t have to be drinking alcohol to be there.”

The partners plan to introduce some unusual imports, such as Stella Artois, which has been manufactured in Belgium since the 1300s, and Kronenbourg 1664, which Dixon described as “a nice crisp Pilsener.”

“It’s now (part of) France, but it was Germany then and they import it through Switzerland,” he said.

On the other hand, popular U.S. beers will continue to be served.

“The Pabst has just been hugely successful. It’s not cool to drink the beer your dad drank,” Dixon explained, “but it’s really cool to drink the beer your granddad drank.”

So far, The Noose patrons seem to have naturally divided themselves into time periods. The “Jeopardy” crowd comes in weekdays around 4 p.m. to test its knowledge, Dixon said. The after-work group comes in after 5 and stays until around 6:30 or 7.

“And then very late, the college kids come in, so we’re living in the best of three worlds,” he said with a chuckle, “ ’til one group overpowers the other.”

Live music is featured a couple of Fridays a month, with Dixon, Haselhuhn and Dixon’s son-in-law Dan Ratzlaff performing as “The Usual Suspects.”

Open mike nights are planned, to give musicians opportunities to play for brief periods of time.

“If you ever see a sign outside that says ‘karaoke’ that means one of us has died — probably all three of us,” Dixon said.

Kristine Palmer manages the bar.