Syracuse, NY -- There was a lull Saturday afternoon at Clark’s Ale House during halftime of the Syracuse University football game, meaning no line and maybe an open bar stool or two. Anyone interested in following the game was either at the Carrier Dome or in a bar with televisions. Clark’s, which was set to close for good at...
Syracuse, NY -- There was a lull Saturday afternoon at Clark’s Ale House during halftime of the Syracuse University football game, meaning no line and maybe an open bar stool or two.
Anyone interested in following the game was either at the Carrier Dome or in a bar with televisions.
Clark’s, which was set to close for good at 2 a.m. Sunday, never had TVs. And that is one of the reasons regulars of the bar in the Landmark Theatre building said they will miss it.
“I tell you, man, it’s hard to find a place to sit down and have a conversation with people who like good beer,” said Steve Letkowski, who drove up from New Jersey for the last night of Clark’s.
“There’s no competition with drinking good beer and interacting with people. That’s all you can do,” said Letkowski, a graduate of the State University College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
“There’s been a fantastic turnout all week,” said Bart Daly, day manager for the pub at 122 W. Jefferson St.,. “I think there are people here for the first time, but the vast majority have been here before. They’ve come for one last sandwich and a beer.”
Clark’s Ale House opened in 1992. It famously offered 22 drafts and one sandwich, roast beef, though it later added turkey and other items to its menu.
Clark’s had two more years on its lease but the Landmark bought it out early to begin its $16 million renovation. The bar’s prospects for opening in another location are uncertain.
A blackboard inside the bar Saturday had “Last Day” written in chalk along with a sad face with tears.
It was a bittersweet day for employees. Some expressed concern for their co-workers, including the 79-year-old woman that made the soups from scratch.