Retiring to The Fischin' Hole Saloon 'felt right'

People driving along East Lake Street in downtown Medical Lake may have noticed a new logo on the window of a former bar and restaurant

The Fischin’ Hole Saloon, a riff on the name of the new owners, Mark and Robin Fischer, opened on Dec. 1. The saloon is the location of the former 14 Bar and Grill at 114 E. Lake St..

Being a business owner wasn’t part of Mark’s retirement strategy. Currently on terminal leave from his career as an Air Force colonel and former vice commander of the 141st Air Refueling Wing, Mark confessed it was the community who reached out to them.

“It certainly wasn’t my idea in the beginning … I thought I’d retire and ride off into the sunset,” he chuckled from behind a decidedly non-regulation beard and over the background din of customers.

But the more Mark and Robin thought about the idea, the more it felt right. Robin had a background in restaurant management, and Mark’s son, Schuyler Fischer, had been bartending and managing bars in the Seattle area for the past three years. The idea of becoming bar owners began to gel.

Mark spoke with his Schuyler about the idea of purchasing the building and starting the business, and asked Schuyler if he was interested in moving to back to the area to help manage the bar.

“I said, Dad, if you buy it we’ll move over,” Schuyler said.

Like the idea of buying the saloon, its focus is all about community, according to Mark.

Robin agreed. “We live in Medical Lake and we wanted to keep it a community bar,” Robin said in between ferrying steaming baskets of burgers, cocktails and cold beer to a steady stream of mixed-aged customers Friday evening.

Recently a stay at home mom who had managed restaurants in the past, Robin was attracted to the idea of getting back into the customer service game. The saloon includes a full commercial kitchen, where they prepare their signature menu item: a deep-fried burger.

It’s been a steep learning curve for Mark, who said he was used to a more structured work environment, and as such relies on Robin and Schuyler to keep him pointed in the right direction.

“I’m sort of figuring things out as I go,” he said, noting that business responsibilities like the licensing process can be daunting. But he falls back onto the principals he learned in the military: hire good people and give them what they need to succeed.

The result, Mark hopes, will be to create a community space where people want to be, where neighbors come to meet their neighbors, and to help build a what he called a cohesive community.

“The Re*Imagine Medical Lake theme really applies here,” he said.

Although the Fischin’ Hole Saloon is currently limited to patrons aged 21 and over, they hope to eventually include family dining.

Schuyler is working to reach out to a younger crowd by offering live music and other events. They will also offer plenty of whiskey choices. “There are a lot of whiskey drinkers in town,” he said. “Me included.”

They currently offer wine and seven beer taps, with more on the way.

The bar will include pull tabs, offers two pool tables, and will serve hot food while open, according to Schuyler, including a weekend breakfast and a Bloody Mary bar.

Daily specials will include a Monday military, and MTFU Family Men Facebook member discount. Tuesday’s will offer tequila specials and trivia. “Millennial trivia” will eventually be added “so people can be under 70 years old and still know the answers,” Schuyler said. Look for whiskey and wings along with mystery games on Wednesdays. Thursday’s will be karaoke night with old-school hip-hop, and Friday’s will be ladies night with line dancing. College sports fans can look for two-for-one Fireball shots and other sports specials on Saturdays. And there will be plenty of televisions for watching other sports.

“We’re definitely going to have sports on all the time,” Schuyler said.

Originally from the Yakima Valley, both Mark and Robin have been in Medical Lake for five years. They have no plans to leave, according to Mark.

The building and 3,256 square foot main floor tavern area were purchased on Nov. 27 for $300,000, according to Spokane County Assessor records.

Check in with the Fischin’ Hole Saloon Facebook page for business hours, events and specials, and a glance at the full menu.

Lee Hughes can be reached at [email protected].