Hot Springs bar owners work to regain business

For over 12 years Darla and Alan Reisinger have owned and operated Al's Sports Bar, Creekside Inn and Grill in Hot Springs. After the pandemic they found themselves needing some help to stay afloat. At several thousand dollars in the hole, the couple is, as Alan put it, "on our last leg." Alan and Darla bought the business in 2008 and have since provided a location, not only for sports fans, but the local community to use. The Hot Springs Veterans of Foreign Wars, Lone Prairie Springs Post 5159, meets in their building, and several long-time residents are also regulars. "We are just trying to go down with a fight," said Alan. "We were hoping this place could be our retirement."

"COVID hit us pretty hard," said Darla. She handles the bookkeeping and cooking side of the business and Alan acts as the waiting staff and the bartender. The two of them run the bar alone, as they cannot afford to hire help. According to Darla, they were doing well in 2019, but in 2020 they dropped in income over $60,000 throughout the year. Along with that, according to both Reisingers, costs have gone up. Alan voiced concerns about problems with stocking everything, including beer. "One of our biggest problems is product," he noted. After COVID-19, they have been having trouble getting common beers, which they receive from Missoula. Some common food items like fries, which they receive from Kalispell and Spokane, are also in short supply. Alan attributes some of these problems to shipping companies having trouble finding drivers to deliver.

After several shutdowns during 2020 due to COVID-19, the bar owes over $100,000, due by August 1. Without the money, the bar will have to close its doors. They tried applying for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, for which they qualified, but by then the grant funding had run out. The Reisingers are now reaching out to the community, having started a GoFundMe page called "Please Help Save Al's Sports Bar and Grill." The GoFundMe is meant to help the two put a down payment in for a loan to keep the business running. "We're not smart enough to give up," Darla said.

The building used to be a bowling alley the lanes of which became bar tops at Al's. It also has a life-sized golf simulator utilizing a projector and has outside horseshoe pits and seating. There is a football team wall, which keeps track of each team's place nationally. The place also has one room in the inn available. "It's a little bit too much for the two of us, but you've either got to do it yourself or not make it," said Alan.

The bar is located at 208 A Street in Hot Springs. They are open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.