Deer’s Bar gets a fresh start

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Joel Powell is the new owner of Deer’s Bar and Grill in Deer Park. He bought the business, along with his wife and parents, in June and promptly renovated the space to give it a fresh start.

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Joel Powell has always wanted to own a bar and restaurant, so when he discovered the abandoned Deer’s Bar and Grill in Deer Park, he jumped on the chance to own it.

Powell, along with his wife and parents, purchased the building on June 13 and immediately went to work remodeling the space.

“Oh it was bad,” Powell said. “Fifty years of cigarette smoke on top of fried food… It was rough.”

Renovations included removing the carpet, painting almost every surface in the building, installing central air and heating and replacing almost every fixture in the restrooms, he said.

“The only thing that is the same is the physical bar,” he said.

Before buying Deer’s Bar and Grill, Powell worked as a civilian contractor, traveling from military base to military base.

“I got sick of traveling and my wife didn’t like it very much either,” he said.

The Star Prairie resident said he decided on Deer’s because of its proximity to home.

“I knew we could give it a fresh start,” he said.

Powell is still in the process of refinishing the back room, he said. Once it’s complete, it will be available for free rentals.

Deer’s Bar and Grill hosted a grand opening celebration on Sept. 29. Upcoming events and promotions include the Buck Hunter Challenge, where the top scorer on Nov. 25 will win a shot gun, Fantastic Friday fish fries, bi-monthly contractor card draw, specials during Sunday night football, Bingo Tuesdays and a Halloween Spooktacular event on Saturday, Oct. 27.

In addition to a fully-stocked bar, Deer’s also offers food - including homemade sausage, homemade French fries and homemade chips. All meat is fresh and purchased from Deer’s Food Locker, located directly across the street.

For information about the bar’s daily specials, visit Deer’s Facebook page by searching “Deer’s Bar and Grill” or call 715-269-5252.

Tags: deer park, business