There won’t be a sports bar or cocktail lounge in place of Russell’s Bar in Annandale come spring despite the change of ownership. Richard Guerre (pronounced Gary) bought the bar at an auction on Monday, Nov. 27 but says it is going to remain the small town bar it has always been. Even the name will stay the same. "I’d like to keep it close to your traditional small town bar, with lots of local flavor," he said. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be some changes. For one, he hopes to add a small kitchen so patrons can eat when they visit. The food will likely consist of basket meals – burgers and chicken strips, he said, and the kitchen will be open for lunch. He also plans on using the basement area, which already has a full bar, dance floor and stage. According to Guerre, the basement has been closed for a while, but he hopes to bring it back along with live music and drinks. "We’ll have basic rock and country. Something that appeals to a broad range of people," he said. If things pan out, the basement would also be available for private parties. Guerre, of Baxter, has had a home on Lake Sylvia for 22 years. He has owned and run Flare Heating and Air Conditioning of Golden Valley for the past 26 years but has never operated a bar. His son Michael will likely manage it, but Guerre won’t be an unfamiliar face in the establishment. Owning a bar has been something he has wanted to do for a long time, he said. Now that he has handed over most of the responsibility of Flare to his managers, he believes he has time to pursue other interests. His business plan is simple: "I know what I like as a customer, and I’m going to try and give them that," he said. That may mean a bit of remodeling just to make things a little more up to date. Besides adding the kitchen upstairs, he will likely do work on the bathrooms and add TVs in the bar so patrons can catch a game if they want. Since the building was already set up to accommodate a kitchen, he doesn’t expect the renovation to require closing the place down. In fact, Russell’s has remained open since the sale. Guerre was expecting to take full ownership last week, and he plans to keep the bar open through any renovation. He hopes to have the kitchen up and running by the end of January or early February. The basement will need the majority of the work, but that shouldn’t interfere with the business upstairs. "It will be a challenge," he said, but it is one he is very interested in and dedicated to. His main goal is to provide a safe, fun environment where dads won’t be afraid to bring their son or daughter for a burger, he said. Guerre bought the bar from Judy Grega, who owned it with her husband, Tom, until his death. She has been operating it with the help of her sons for the past nine or 10 years. Guerre plans on having a sort of "changing of the guard celebration" in coming weeks to say goodbye to Grega and her family.
