Slab swan song?

POST FALLS - Some of Walter Glass's fondest memories have been at the Slab Inn.

The Rathdrum man has enjoyed dancing and listening to music at the historic honky-tonk bar since 1978. He met his wife, Connie, there on the dance floor in 1998.

Those good times at the Slab, Post Falls' oldest continuously-operating business at 81 years, could come to a halt if a new owner doesn't surface to carry the torch. Randy and Deb Berlin, who have owned the bar for the past 19 years, have the business for sale for $725,000.

"It's been a struggle the past three years just keeping up with the bills and taxes and the clientele is declining," Deb said. "It's been touch and go for a long time, but it finally got to the point where we can't continue. It's time to go."

Several musicians who have performed at the Slab over the years will perform on Sunday starting at 4 p.m. The bar will be open on Fridays and Saturdays in September from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. with Sept. 26 being the last night.

Berlin said changes, including gearing the country music toward younger crowds and building a smoking room, have been tried in recent years to keep the business afloat but to no avail.

"We still have a good core of regular customers, but there's a lot of other things going on in the summer," she said. "The older clientele that we always had is settling down."

Glass is saddened that the business faces an uncertain future.

"The place has been a lot of fun and has had good country music," he said. "I've met a lot of nice people there. It's a historical treasure. It will be a sad note if it goes down the road."

Some of the history still exists, including a horse hitching post out back (the former front) that faces Mullan Avenue, once the main drag through town.

The business got its name from slabs of lumber and bark from a local mill that was used as siding inside and out. It was the cheapest building material at the time.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt had barely lifted the country out of the Prohibition era when the tavern was built in a wooded area on Highway 10 for $3,000 in June 1934. Curtis Maxon Chase was the original owner. Chase Road is the eastern border of the property.

Names such as Hank Thompson, John Conlee, Highway 101 and Shenandoah have performed there.

Longtime residents have told stories about taking gunny sacks to the Slab in the 1940s to hunt for beer bottles, fetching a penny for every bottle. They would also find change on the ground after fights outside.

The bar's owners have included, in order: Chase, Al Hayworth, Bud Branch, Don O'Neill, Bob and Josephine Issacs and the Berlins.

The business features a variety of settings inside due to it being expanded several times over the years, including a dance floor; cozy, sunken area with tables in front of a fireplace; dartboard and pool areas; a big-screen TV for sports fans; and the bar itself.

Bartender Ashley Kinsey said he has worked at other bars, but the Slab has been his favorite because it's a welcoming place.

"This is family here," he said during a recent shift. "People love to come here to talk and listen to music. It will be a sad day when it closes."

Patron Jeremy Cantrell said the Slab has been a great place for he and fellow veterans to chat and unwind.

"Everybody knows about the Slab, so hopefully somebody will pick it up," Cantrell said.

For the past year, church groups have met at the Slab during some mornings.

"It's a great place for prayer because it's dark and quiet," said Derek Sovereign, of Prairie Avenue Community Church.

The bar on 1.6 acres at 801 W. Seltice Way consumes most of a 12,000-square foot building that is also occupied by Sahara Pizza, which will continue to operate.

Berlin said Sunday's jam session should be a great time and fitting way to close out the final stretch of the bar being open.

"It's a great opportunity for people to see the talent that has played there over the years," she said. "It should be a good day to see old friends and listen to great music."

Berlin said it's been rewarding to be a part of Post Falls' ongoing history.

"Hopefully someone will come along to buy it to continue the Slab tradition," she said.