Old friends buy their college hangout and make it their own.
Once there were four college buddies who frequently hung out at Corrigan’s Bit O’Ireland on Wells Avenue in Reno, and they always had a blast. It became the place they’d all go nearly every weekend and make those cherished, early-20-something memories that they look back upon today. It was the place where they matured, a place they still cherish, and a place they now own.
In 2021, Richard Jackson, Dan Menahem, Brian Fralick, and Nathan Cole purchased what is now Corrigan’s Lost Highway.
“Richard bartended there throughout college and continues to today,” Menahem notes. “We fell in love with the place a long time ago. Always hung out there with the great jukebox. It’s a ‘divey-esque’ neighborhood bar.”
When they bought the bar, they knew they wanted to keep it welcoming and going as a neighborly establishment, but they all wanted to put their mark on it. With different backgrounds, residences, and professions, each one of the guys brought something to the table.
The Same, but Different
“I’m in Chicago, Nate in L.A., Brian in Houston, and Richard’s in Reno,” Menahem explains. “Richard knows the bar inside and out. Nate’s stamp is very creative and full of music culture. Brian is an expert with accounting, and I am a power plant developer with a business background. We all helped and devised a plan to bring the bar back to its glory days.”
They hired Nathaniel Benjamin, a local artist, to paint a wall mural outside that attracts a lot of attention. The group decided to keep the original name, with a nod to the original owner, but also to add their twist to it; they agreed on Corrigan’s Lost Highway — it represents Nevada’s lonely open roads and the Lost Highway record music label, a nod to their own appreciation for music. Patrons will find some of the group’s favorite band posters lining the walls, new booth seating, and a bigger alcohol selection behind the bar.
“The way I see it, there aren’t a whole lot of differences between working a bar and being part owner of a bar,” Jackson says. “In my experiences of tending for 35 years, I figured out early on that the person behind the bar does plenty of managerial work outside of slinging drinks. There is always inventory maintenance, ordering and receiving, cleaning, and general bar maintenance that go along with being a professional bartender. These duties carry over into ownership with a little more emphasis. The way I approach ownership is the same way Ray Corrigan taught me when he told me, ‘As long as you are standing behind the bar and doing your job, you are as good as the owner. I trust your judgment.’ I can speak for the rest of the owners when I say they all feel the same way. There are a few hiccups with ownership, but very minimal. The hiring and chemistry of a solid crew of tenders is the most important thing about ownership.”
Heidi Bethel has fond memories of the neighborhood bar she and her friends frequented; she appreciates the nostalgia and enjoyed a few delicious libations at Corrigan’s Lost Highway.
Corrigan’s Lost Highway
1536 S. Wells Ave., Reno
Find Corrigan’s Lost Highway on Facebook and Instagram
Fit for the Big Screen
In the late ’90s, Cole wrote The Waterhole, an autobiographical screenplay about four college buddies at the end of their college years who hung out at a popular bar and reminisced about the past. In 2007, after the four friends registered a film production company, the film was made and shot on location at Corrigan’s.
Now available on Amazon Prime, the film has garnered a following and features several local folks, including edible Reno-Tahoe’s own managing editor, Jessica Santina, as extras.
