Creston couple opens Colburn’s Corner Saloon

With the interior adorned with whiskey-barrel tables and memorabilia of country-music icons ranging from Hank Williams to Jason Aldean, sub-genres of country music playing at all hours and house drinks with names like “Tennessee Cowboy,” Colburn’s Corner Saloon is a snapshot of co-owner Rebecca Colburn’s love for country music spanning generations.

“I like country music, and I’m kind of an antique kind of person. I always wanted a saloon,” Rebecca said.

She and her husband, Steve, both of Creston officially opened the bar June 2 at 119 N. Walnut St. in Creston, in the building that previously housed the American Legion. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held this morning.

The saloon’s hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 2 p.m. to close, which is 2 a.m. at the latest. On Sundays and Mondays, the saloon is open to private parties only.

Getting started

When Rebecca was a bartender at the Legion and learned it was closing, she became interested in purchasing the building and opening a saloon.

The Colburns purchased the building from the Legion for about $50,000 and began renovating the exterior and interior.

“We took the entryway out and changed the smoking area out back – put fence up at both ends,” Rebecca said. “It wasn’t a whole lot of changing, but it was a whole lot of cleaning and painting and decorating.”

Rebecca describes the saloon’s atmosphere as “comfortable.”

In decorating, she brought in antiques as well as memorabilia she purchased in Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee.

“I would say about 90 percent of what’s in here is from our house, and most of it is from antique shopping and shopping in Nashville,” Rebecca said. “I think I’ve been there about six times. I just love Nashville.”

And, some of the tables have a whiskey barrel for a base.

“We bought the barrels, and my husband put the (table)tops on,” she said. “The black chairs, I recovered 25 of those. We got new bar stools. We got a new jukebox put in, a popcorn (popper) and an ATM.”

Offerings

The saloon’s bar menu includes $2 draught beer in a frosty mug, $1 Jell-O shots on weekends and specials on mixed drinks.

The house-drink menu was developed by Rebecca’s daughter and full-time employee at Colburn’s, Jennifer Self of Creston. Another of the Colburns’ six children, daughter Jessica Mordock-Branan, fills in occasionally when needed.

“Our house drinks are all Western-themed names,” Self said. “A customer favorite is the ‘Cowboy Killer Kool-Aid.’ It’s got vodka, Peachtree, amaretto, Coke and cranberry juice. It’s really sweet and more fruity tasting. Most of the other Western-themed ones have whiskey and stuff like that.”

The “Western Sunrise” has whiskey, bourbon, orange juice and grenadine, and “Tennessee Cowboy” has whiskey, Red Bull and lemonade.

While it is mostly a bar, Colburn’s Corner Saloon currently sells pizzas and hot dogs. Rebecca said she has considered offering more food in the future.

On Wednesday nights, the saloon has open pool table and open-mic karaoke, as well as happy-hour prices from 4 to 8 p.m. Every Thursday is ladies’ night, and females receive 50 cents off draught beer, $1 off mixed drinks and $1 off pizzas.

Self said the saloon always has music playing, and on weekends, there is either live music – typically country or classic rock – or karaoke.

First-time owners

Steve works full time at Longfellow Drilling in Clearfield, and while neither he nor Rebecca have previous experience owning a bar, Rebecca said her bartending experience at both the Legion and when she lived in Oregon prior to moving to Creston has been helpful in learning the ins and outs of running the saloon.

“It’s going good. It’s holding its own so far,” Rebecca said. “It’s doing pretty much what I’d hoped it would do.”

Until Steve retires, he only helps at the saloon on weekends.

“I’m training him,” Rebecca said of her husband.

Self said the weekends have been busy at the saloon.

“That’s normally our best time. We’re just kind of getting going being a new business; we’re still acquiring our customers,” Self said.