Long-time establishment reopens with new name, new management after two years of gathering dust
By PAUL DELANEY
Staff Reporter
Eric Thompson said he needed something to do and it appears he's definitely found what he sought to occupy his time.
The former contractor, and man of many hats, recently opened the One 14 Bar and Grill - the former Dirty Shame - in Medical Lake a few weeks ago and admits that if you want to find him, there's a good chance he'll be there.
Thompson says he's there 16 hours a day, running the bar and cooking. The one thing he's learned is that, “sleep is rare. If you're looking to limit your sleep, go ahead and buy a bar,” he said.
Operating an establishment like the One 14 is just the culmination of having done a lot of things, the 51-year old divorced father of two and Cheney native explained. “I've done a lot of things and this was another thing I thought I'd like to try,” he said. “I've been a contractor, I've owned businesses, been in the media,” Thompson said.
He put himself through college working in a restaurant in Seattle too so he's got at least an idea of what the business is all about. Thompson said his interest in operating a bar came from years of visiting plenty others and saying, “Hmmm, I could do that. I won't make those same mistakes.”
So all of a sudden in the past year, Medical Lake has gone from no places to grab a quick beer or mixed drink to two watering holes.
And they are right next to each other with the Wagon Wheel, which opened last summer.
The bar had been closed two years when Thompson bought it. Owned for 30 years by Jim and Fran Mahoney and operated as the Dirty Shame, the couple expanded the place, doubling the space about 10 years ago, Thompson said. The Mahoneys' photo still hangs on the wall. Prior to that it was Lucky's, named after its owner, Lucky Bush.
As for the new name, “It's not much of enigmatic mystery number, it's the address, one 14 E. Lake,” Thompson explained.
The unusual name has not deterred customers from checking out the place. “It's a great and fantastic little town and a fantastic group of regulars,” Thompson said, noting patronage has been generated solely by word-of mouth.
Food is a likely draw to the establishment and Thompson is quick to point out the menu, “is not regular old bar food.” That's evident by tasking a quick peek at a few menu items like a pork chop sandwich, Tilapia Pizza and the Shrimpy Noodly. Thompson said there are no specialty items, but the menu reflects the things he likes and he's been making for a long time.
The One 14 has a full array of beers both on tap and in the bottle, plus a solid line-up of liquor, including some that are hard to find in most establishments.
Thompson took ownership of the building and business just about a year ago and has spent the past 11 months doing a lot of work inside to freshen thing up. “It was in reasonable condition, but the bathrooms were toast and I redid those,” he said. “I had to put a new roof on and did all the work myself.” Well, Thompson added, “Me and my kid, Sam.”
It was a father-son bonding deal, Thompson said with a chuckle. “He's not exactly a blue-collar guy so it was a bit of a struggle.” The two took 14 tons of tar off the roof. It was leaking pretty bad so they did a complete tear-off. “He (Sam) found out what it was like to be in the hot sun for a month,” Thompson said, adding that his son returned to college shortly afterwards.
At the moment the One 14 is a one-man operation, “Just me back in the kitchen,” Thompson said. “I've got to find a cook.”
Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].
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