Idaho Vandals ‘packed’ this historic downtown Eagle bar. Here’s why it just closed

The Gathering Place has been a local favorite for more than a decade in downtown Eagle.

Located in the historic Orville Jackson’s Eagle Drug Store building, it has filled a traditional, small-town bar role. Potent cocktails, cold beers. Pool tables, shuffleboard.

Sports on TV, too — notably, proud Idaho Vandals football.

But the watering hole at 50 E. State St. recently was sold. It closed after a final round of drinks on Oct. 30.

Mark Fitzpatrick, who owns Stone Crossing events venue in Boise, said he purchased the bar and building from previous owner Bill McCarrel. And it won’t stay dark long.

Fitzpatrick hopes to reopen the bar with a new name before the end of the year, assuming all the necessary licensing is cleared.

Anyone who enjoyed The Gathering Place should feel comfortable in the rebranded bar, he said.

“It’ll be a special, unique spot,” he promised.

“I live in Eagle, and I really value history. This building’s very unique. I want to ... honor that history. So, for example, our drinks will be named after either Eagle history or folklore, or heroes from Eagle’s history — things like that.”

The drink menu will focus on local breweries, wineries and distilleries, he said. Idaho beer and wine also will be sold to-go. Live music will be featured, including a dueling piano night. There also will be a private room for group meetings, Fitzpatrick said, “and maybe even a place to smoke cigars.”

A kitchen is a future possibility. For now, food trucks will be parked outside “frequently.”

New TVs will be installed, too. Translation: Go Vandals!

Fitzpatrick isn’t a University of Idaho alumnus. But when he visited The Gathering Place during a Vandals game and fundraising event in October, the “place was packed. It was a lot of fun.”

Although Fitzpatrick operates another venue with history, Stone Crossing, 9600 W. Brookside Lane in Boise, this is his first time owning a bar. “Life’s new adventure,” he calls it.

Taking over the iconic general-store building, he’s hoping plenty of his Eagle neighbors come along for the ride.

“I’m really excited about seeing the downtown Eagle area expand and grow, and offer more businesses and restaurants and services,“ Fitzpatrick said. “And just to see more people walking about down there as it grows — more life in that area.”