Rockville’s oldest bar needs your help so fans of live music can cut the rug.
Thanks to being the first bar to reopen in Montgomery County, Maryland, after prohibition, Hank Dietle’s Tavern holds beer and wine license number #001.
The original building dates back to 1916, when it was the Offutt’s General Store.
While customers now pull their cars in from Rockville Pike, rather than tying their horses to the hitching post, most things stayed the same at the dive bar until live music was introduced in 2015.
A cigarette-started fire destroyed Hank’s three years later.
The community came together and helped raise funds to rebuild the beloved bar, and due to COVID-19, the reopening was delayed to July 2021.
Thanks to the current owners who took over in 2019, Hank’s now has live music seven nights a week.
“The focus is really roots rock and Americana,” Sarah Bonner, co-owner. “Jazz, blues, R&B, country, bluegrass, folk, even power pop.
In the nearly five years since the rebuild, there’s been so much dancing at Hank’s, especially from swing dancers; the composite vinyl tile dance floor has taken a beating.
“Completely worn out,” Bonner said. ”We need to really replace the floor.”
While Bonner said they are “meeting their operating expenses without any difficulty.” But “when it comes to things like major capital improvements, such as a new floor, we’ve turned to the community,”
“We’ve reached out with a GoFundMe,” Bonner said.
With about 50 separate donations, Hanks is more than halfway to its goal of $10,000, as of 10 a.m. Thursday.
That money, along with funds from a previous fundraiser, will be used to buy a flooring that would be in the $17,000 range.
The owners are still working on which type of flooring they want to have installed, but should decide “in the next month or so.”
Bonner said she is “truly grateful” for the community’s support.
“They’re just desperate for a place to go where they can be with their friends and relax and not be watching the war on TV,” Bonner said. “We’re delighted to be providing this service to the community.”
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