"Sometimes it feels like the blink of an eye, and sometimes it feels like three lifetimes," says Wes Ingram, owner of100 bars we can't live without in 2022,
The bar, which opened in 2007, has faced plenty of challenges over the years, including a fire that nearly destroyed the place just five months after it opened."The space that used to be Freaky's and is now Chubby Cattle was completely incinerated," Ingram recalls. The blaze began around 11 p.m.; smoke was soon pouring in and flames going up the side of the building.
For several years after. Dougherty's hosted a firefighter party, even shutting down the street for a party where it charged $5 a toss to sink firefighters featured in that year's calendar in a dunk tank."We raised a considerable amount for the Denver Burn Foundation," Ingram recalls. When the pandemic hit and the bar was forced to shut down, Ingram attempted to apply for a PPP loan through Wells Fargo."I was online at 7 a.m., and by the time I hit 'submit,' they were no longer accepting applications," he says. Thankfully, his accountant was able to connect him with a banker who was able to help, and the funds allowed him to pay and retain all of his employees through the shutdown."It was a very scary period," he admits.
Hammerschlaggen!!!!