New tap house comes to Wallace

WALLACE — Whenever a new business pops up in Wallace it’s pretty easy to get excited.

And if you know anything about the Blue Raven or its owners, Adam and Sharon Guthrie, it’s even easier.

Occupying the space on Bank Street that formerly housed Oliver’s Mercantile, the Blue Raven is set to become Wallace’s newest tap house and venue.

After moving to the area from southeastern Pennsylvania in 2019, both Adam and Sharon found work in Wallace’s bustling service industry. Most recently, Sharon has been a server at the Fainting Goat.

They always knew they wanted to do something for themselves in the service industry and simply waited for an opportunity.

“We’ve wanted to do something along these lines for quite some time,” Adam said. “Circumstances have together so we’re going to make a go of it. We want to be fun, and welcoming of both locals and visitors. We love to find those places when we’re traveling. Places where everyone can come together, go back and forth with each other. We want to be a place that is known for having interesting entertainment and activities going on.”

During its former iterations, the building at 506 Bank St. was a combined retail/beer bar and was set up in a way that allowed shoppers of all ages to comb through the racks while the alcohol could be kept away from anyone under the legal drinking age. This layout still exists, but now offers an advantageous setup for the Guthries.

The larger side of the building offers more room for larger musical acts and group activities, while the taproom side features the perfect amount of space for smaller or solo acts.

“This space is so unique, that’s part of the reason we went down this path — we want to be able to have bands, classes and educational opportunities,” Adam told the News-Press.

Sharon echoed her husband but dove into why she feels that the Blue Raven will present avenues for the community that were previously closed.

“That’s the thing that is most important to me, bringing in more educational and entertainment opportunities to the Silver Valley,” Sharon said. “There’s been a lot of times when I’ve wanted to take a class — but it’s all the way out in Post Falls. If it’s gardening, arts, poetry, or if anyone has a skill that they would like to teach, we’re open to it.”

As for the name, the Blue Raven — the Guthries are wanderers by nature, oftentimes finding their peace in the hillsides surrounding the Silver Valley.

Ravens are mysterious, intelligent and curious by nature — and if you ask Adam or Sharon, there’s nothing quite like being woken up by a raven doing a loud fly-by of your tent as the sun rises.

And when that sun hits them just right — a Blue Raven.

While no plans are official, the Guthries hope to have a soft opening for the Blue Raven this weekend, but if not — definitely be open in time for next weekend’s SkiJor event.

The Blue Raven is located at 506 Bank St. in Wallace.