Mac's back under Robb ownership

At the Feb. 21 meeting of the Thermopolis Town Council, a liquor license and transfer of license was approved for Mac’s Bar. With the action, the business is under ownership of Ernie and Ron Robb.

Ernie said he originally had Mac’s in 1996, and at that time it was downtown in the Klink building. He further explained around Memorial Day that same year the front of the building caved in. As the entrance to the bar was condemned, he requested the Thermopolis Town Council allow him to move the business to property he owned on Shoshoni.

The council allowed it, and Mac’s moved to where it is now.

In 2015, Kelly and Juanita Donathan acquired the liquor license and the business but the land and property have always belonged to Ernie, who pointed out the couple, who went under the name DNP Enterprises, actually ran the bar for quite a few years prior to acquiring it.

Recently, the Donathans decided they wanted to retire and Ernie, retired himself and having a house here, took them up on reacquiring everything.

While under the DNP name, Ernie pointed out, the bar saw plenty of improvement, as the Donathans built some back shelves for the bar and added a couple walk-in coolers. He wasn’t disappointed with any aspect of how they ran things. While Ernie plans to run Mac’s for a while, he noted if someone comes along and wants to buy it he’d entertain the idea.

Ernie doesn’t plan to change anything about the operation of the bar or the staff. He said, “I may be a new owner, but I’m an old owner as well.”