New owners, same ol' Metals

WALLACE — One of the most iconic watering holes in the city of Wallace is set to have new owners this March. The soon-to-be former owners of The Metals Bar, Marcy and Mike Hayman, have ran the historic establishment since 2011.

“It went by fast, holy cow!” Marcy said.

It was about a year ago that the couple started thinking about selling, due mostly to having a new member of the family.

“We got our first grandbaby and we just kinda decided we wanted more time to spend with our family,” Marcy said. “We accomplished what we wanted to accomplish and we didn’t want to be tied down to it forever, so BOOM!”

Once the decision was made to sell the business and the building, the Haymans started carefully screening potential buyers. They were looking for someone that would take the business seriously and understand what the bar means to so many of the locals in Wallace.

“I even said to one of my Realtor friends if it would be out of the ordinary for us ask the potential buyers to write a paragraph about why they would want to own The Metals,” Marcy said jokingly. “We really wanted someone who was sincere to move in and take over.”

Luckily for the Haymans, Katie and Jeremy Watterson not only grasp the importance of The Metals Bar, but they are also located just a short walk down Cedar Street.

The Wattersons moved to Wallace (to live full time) about two years ago and have operated The Wallace Coffee House at the corner of Sixth and Cedar streets for roughly a year and a half.

Katie said they started thinking about purchasing The Metals last September due to a combination of factors.

Even before coming to Wallace, the couple had always wanted to own a “downtown building” like the one The Metals is currently in. Years ago, they had even looked at some older buildings in Montana.

Back to the present, Katie and Jeremy see The Metals as that “downtown building” and are thrilled that it has such a rich tradition behind it.

“We have always really wanted to own a building in downtown Wallace,” Katie said. “The Metals has the oldest liquor license in town. We are both way into the historical aspect of Wallace.”

The real deciding factor for them though was the people of Wallace.

“I’ve never felt more of a part of a community than I did moving to Wallace and that’s happened rather quickly,” Jeremy said. “(We’ve) been here less than two years, full time and felt welcomed with opened arms by the vast majority of the townsfolk.”

The Wattersons feel that this kindness is also reflected by the loyal patrons of the bar.

“The Metals has a really cool community of people,” Katie said. “It’s their home away from home — that’s their bar.”

It is because of this community understanding that Marcy and Mike felt comfortable selling to the Wattersons.

“We really need a hometown place and we need it to remain hometown,” Marcy said. “Jeremy and Katie just have that presence. They are involved, they like the people, they don’t want to live anywhere else.

“We just like how personable they are with people.”

Once Katie and Jeremy take over on March 1, they don’t plan to shake things up too much. The Metals will keep the same staff and the same hours. It’s unique decor (a dedication to the rich mining tradition of the Silver Valley) will also remain largely the same.

Katie explains that the few new changes will include an expanded food menu and extended hours for food to be served. The couple also hopes to add a tin ceiling to the bar to give it even more of a historical feel.

With an already established customer base, the Wattersons are expecting a smooth transition.

“Mike and Marcy have built a really strong business and the community has been really supportive,” Katie said. “So it isn’t too overwhelming because it runs itself. Everybody takes care of everybody.”

Marcy agrees with Katie about the support the community has given to the bar, since she has seen it firsthand for many years.

“We’ve really gotten to meet some wonderful people and they just are such a great, close-knit family of locals that come into The Metals,” she said. “They are just a great group of people and I just can’t say enough about the ones we have met.”

After getting its first appearance in the old Samuel’s Hotel, The Metals Bar appeared in its current form (as its own building) in the 1960s and was located directly across the street from its current position on Cedar Street.

Since then, it has been through four different owners, not counting the Wattersons.