SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake’s nightlife is about to get livelier with the return of a wildly popular bar and music venue, with decades of history, that is set to reopen its doors.
Garage on Beck has been closed since a fire tore through its top floor in October.
“It’s not our first rodeo,” said bar owner Bob McCarthy, remembering the two fires that have occurred at the location business since he took over in 2008.
However, McCarthy’s passion for rebuilding the place again and again hasn’t been extinguished.
“I like building things, so I’ve actually quite enjoyed doing it even though it has been stressful,” he said.
Since October, Garage on Beck has essentially rewired the entire building, hired new help, and replaced the handpicked antiques that give the bar its one-of-a-kind vibe.
“When people come here, they feel ... you can tell you’re in the middle of nowhere, and you can party outside with music,” McCarthy said.
Live music is a big part of what makes the establishment so special to the community, giving local musicians like Lianna Manibog of the band "Interior Wild" a unique venue to perform.
“It allows for larger crowds to start to come through in a way where you can really take advantage of in the summer months,” she explained. “Salt Lake has been growing pretty substantially. We’re getting a lot of venues, but it’s really cool to have those venues that have some history to them.”
That type of unwavering community support drives McCarthy to rebuild time and again... within reason.
“I don’t think the third fire, if it happens, I’m going to do it again," he said. "So I think two is good. We’ll get through this summer and see how it goes.”
McCarthy is asking the community to be patient with the bar staff over the next few weeks as they ramp up operations.
