BOZEMAN- Dempsey and Wyatt Hicks had to wait a few weeks to open their new bar and liquor store Single Barrel during the pandemic which has slowly turned into a booming Bozeman business.
“It was being built right when the pandemic hit so we did receive construction delays, had some trouble getting even barstools here on time, window treatments,” Dempsey Hicks said.
Single Barrel had a quiet opening and started off slow while COVID restrictions took a toll, but with the more and more people looking to spread some holiday joy in a bottle, things began taking off.
“We definitely have seen some traffic increase with the holidays, I feel like everybody is still ready to celebrate even if it’s in their home,” Dempsey Hicks explained.
Single Barrel is a combined bar as well as liquor store where people can drink at the bar until the 10 p.m. closing mandate while trying some of the spirits they also sell in the liquor store.
“We have a big rack out in the store, we sell a lot of local stuff, but then here at the bar we have a pretty good lineup of some of the best-selling whiskeys from around the area,” Wyatt Hicks said.
Wyatt and Dempsey said their selection of local Montana spirits have kept them booming through the pandemic while people take their spirits back to their at-home bars.
“Luckily for us we have some amazing distilleries and breweries around here and I feel like this community has really you know kind of rallied behind them as well,” Dempsey Hicks said.
Wyatt said they look to finish out the year strong and are grateful for the challenges that came with this difficult 2020 year.
“I think it’s just taught us a lot in the first few months of owning a business that really what you have to do is be able to pivot and make the best of the situation,” Wyatt Hicks explained.
