Story by Ezikiel Coy
Photos: Kallie Snyder-Burks – Kaperture Photography
I met with Matthew Eldredge in the surprisingly bright afternoon air of the Lucky Dog. We had sat in the partially finished lounge area in the back of the building, while the bartender carried on jovial conversations in the background keeping the day crowd glasses full and the laughs rolling. After exchanging pleasantries, I started asking questions. The resulting conversation enlightened me to the process and trials of the new General Manager of my favorite neighborhood bar:
“I started in mid may as the General manager. As of then, I’m in charge of everything front of the house. All of the employees, this huge remodel, and all of the event planning, not to mention that I’m focusing on getting more of the local businesses to get new draft beers and connect with Idaho companies to bring new and upcoming companies into the community.”
“I want the Lucky Dog Tavern to be a place that our community can be proud of. This whole face lift is to reflect pride we should all have in our local establishment. The patio I wanted to focus on how great the space is, using reclaimed woods and pallets to create a rustic feel. It was actually built be friends and customers that wanted to make the bar better. I wanted some new color and an inviting space to meet with friends. In the back room we wanted a cooler more relaxing space to sit and converse with your friends while you enjoy our new atmosphere.”
“I want the bar to be a place where everyone feels comfortable as a platform for any event that people are passionate about. “
“From Football to underwear night, we want the Lucky Dog to be the place where people want to come to feel safe and chill.”
“We will never be a dance club, The Balcony does a great job with that market, and we aren’t in competition with them. We offer a different atmosphere for our community than anywhere else in town.”
“The Lucky Dog is a pivotal place within the LGBT community because we’re open to so many different scenes, and we want this place to be the neighborhood bar where anything you bring to the community is what you’ll find here.”
“We have so many different people that join us regularly, it’s nearly impossible to narrow it down to one thing- and I wouldn’t want it to. The diversity here is what makes our customers so comfortable, and we celebrate that.”
“We have our underwear party, more involvement with the patio, and we want to bring the fringes of our community into the focus. Leather nights, Girl’s Night, and bringing our happy hour into focus as well. There are a lot of directions we want to go, and our staff is doing everything they can to make sure that happens.”
“We have so many different people that join us regularly, it’s nearly impossible to narrow it down to one thing- and I wouldn’t want it to. The diversity here is what makes our customers so comfortable, and we celebrate that.”
“We have our underwear party, more involvement with the patio, and we want to bring the fringes of our community into the focus. Leather nights, Girl’s Night, and bringing our happy hour into focus as well. There are a lot of directions we want to go, and our staff is doing everything they can to make sure that happens.”
“It really comes down to listening to what people need and want while learning what is going to benefit their lifestyles and bring more allies into knowing who we are and what we are like when the lights go down and happy hour ends.
I knew coming to work for the Lucky dog was going to be a welcome challenge, but I was definitely surprised by the hours and how much dedication it takes to make a business successful. Trying to balance listening to the ideas of our community and making them a reality has already been rewarding. I’ve gotten such great feedback from the community as a whole that I have faith the hard work will pay off.”
OutBoise News 