Idaho Falls couple open new restaurant, bar and performance venue

Ritchie Alan and JD Ferguson are nan owners of AJ’s Place, a restaurant, barroom and nightclub astatine 1560 Lindsay Boulevard successful Idaho Falls. Take a look wrong successful nan video above. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

Do you want to cognize what’s happening successful nan eastbound Idaho business scene? We’ve sewage you covered. Here is simply a rundown of this week’s business news crossed nan valley.

BIZ BUZZ

IDAHO FALLS

New edifice and barroom successful eastbound Idaho gives section acts a spot to perform

The creation level and shape wrong AJ’s Place successful Idaho Falls. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

IDAHO FALLS – An iconic Idaho Falls building that was erstwhile nan location of a celebrated barroom and unrecorded performance venue is backmost unfastened pinch a caller occupant.

AJ’s Place opened successful April astatine 1560 Lindsay Boulevard pinch owners Ritchie Alan and JD Henderson. Over nan past year, they’ve been focused connected turning it into a venue akin to what it was originally.

During nan 1960s, nan Skyway Bar, nan original caretaker of nan 10,000-square-foot space, was a celebrated nightclub wherever locals progressive successful nan section stone set segment came to spot their favourite bands perform.

Mac ‘n Kelly’s Pub & Grill was nan astir caller caretaker of nan building. It closed successful 2022.

RELATED | Biz Buzz: Family-oriented pub and grill opens successful Idaho Falls

With a caller overgarment of overgarment and a revamped shape pinch a modern sound strategy and barroom area, Alan and Henderson show EastIdahoNews.com nan building now resembles an old-fashioned nighttime nine and is equipped to grip a assortment of performances.

“Back successful nan day, 95% of nan (activity successful this place) was music. We wanted nan expertise to person burlesque shows, unfastened mics, comedies. We’re moving pinch a promoter to get MMA fighting successful here,” Alan says. “Our biggest attraction is giving group a spot to travel retired and bask not conscionable music, but shows of immoderate kind.”

The duo spent $12,000 connected a sound strategy truthful they could make it disposable to unrecorded performers astatine nan venue. They besides connection a backstage waiting room pinch shape entree wherever performers tin spell to alteration apparel aliases beryllium in-between sets.

The edifice offers burgers and different items made conscionable nan measurement Ritchie remembers arsenic a kid.

“Greasy cheeseburgers pinch existent bacon and sauces — we effort and build nan champion burger we can,” he says.

The business seems to beryllium catching on. They’ve hosted unrecorded shows to a packed location each play since they opened, and they’re thrilled to make nan abstraction disposable to nan community.

“We’re trying to fto everyone successful connected what we’re trying to do and fto them cognize that we person this venue,” says Alan.

“Today, I sewage a telephone telephone to book our first wedding present successful August,” Henderson adds.

Take a look astatine nan venue successful nan video above.

Seating area successful nan barroom and edifice astatine AJ’s Place. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

The business is simply a pet task for nan Idaho Falls couple, and it’s civilization fresh to their individual backgrounds. Alan graduated from culinary schoolhouse years ago, which he’d ne'er used, and has performed successful a set for galore years.

Henderson was part-owner of JJ’s Bar wrong nan Bonneville Hotel successful downtown earlier it closed and besides sings.

It was soon aft retiring that Alan learned nan Lindsay Boulevard location was available.

“She was readying to spell backmost to activity ,and I ever wanted to (use my culinary background), truthful I thought, ‘Why not conscionable harvester nan two?'” says Alan.

And it’s go a task nan full family is progressive in. Many of Henderson’s kids thief retired and service customers passim nan week.

Although nan mates is grateful for nan business’s success, their main privilege is helping group retired nevertheless they can. They don’t complaint section bands to perform, and if customers want nutrient cooked a definite measurement aliases want a tweak that’s not connected nan menu, Alan says they’re consenting to do that.

The duo are readying a expansive opening successful nan adjacent future.

“We’ve had truthful galore acts booking up our time, truthful we haven’t really had a chance to celebrate. But we dream to do that soon,” says Henderson.

AJ’s Place is unfastened 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday pinch an 11 a.m. opening clip Friday done Sunday.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

Shelley citizens travel together to money marque caller park

New section institution uses drones to thief farmers harvest dust

Island Park Festival returning for 3rd twelvemonth pinch complete 200 vendors

Idaho pump prices deed lull successful canine days of summer