The good times at Saloon No. 2 came to a pause last fall when it closed, but Mark Hicks, who prefers to be called Marko, hopes to bring it back to its heyday.

“I want to make sure that the bar has changed, that it is nothing like it used to be, to make everybody feel welcome,” he said. “Come on in and I do not care who you are or what you do, have a good time and leave your politics at the door, have a drink and chill out.”

Being from the Spread Eagle area, Marko said that he had been coming to Saloon No. 2 and its predecessors as a customer for many years. Although he’d never worked in a bar, when Saloon No. 2 became available he saw the opportunity to make a career change.

He had previously worked as an inspector in paper mills and chemical plants and was growing weary of the travel required and was looking for the chance to get off the road. Marko was able to consult with some friends who had owned bars and said he got some good advice from them.

Saloon No. 2 has a new owner, Marko, who reopened the Spread Eagle, Wis., tavern in March.

He closed on the purchase in February and got busy catching up with cleaning and a host of maintenance issues. He also got rid of political signage and got new signs from vendors.

He thought long and hard about changing the name of Saloon No. 2 but ultimately decided to keep it the same.

“I talked to friends and they said everybody knows it as Saloon No. 2, it has been that for 22 years,” he said. “Then, with the saloon doors and having to change the signage and everybody knows it as Saloon No. 2 on the corner I thought it would be beneficial to just leave it.”

Marko also said he underestimated the work that went into getting his liquor license and getting his books set up with an accountant. He was ready to open the doors in March and it did not take long before a curious public began to check it out.

Aside from politics being out the door and a new jukebox, not much has changed with the barroom itself. Marko said it is a great place to come and relax.

“This is where you can come with your buddies, hang out, kick back and have a good time,” he said. “Just a blue-collar place, lots of pool players come here, have some cocktails and crank up the tunes.”

Saloon No. 2 does serve pizzas and hopes to eventually offer appetizers. A full kitchen may happen further down the road.

Marko said that he is getting some requests that Saloon No. 2 have karaoke and he is looking into getting a karaoke machine so it can be ready to go whenever the mood hits.

Saloon No. 2 will be looking to sponsor leagues. It has a men’s pool team and is getting tables redone with new rails and the cloth the best shooters like. Marko is looking for a women’s pool team and has some interest in a dart team.

Saloon No. 2 is located at 1148 U.S. 2 in Spread Eagle and is open 2 p.m. to close Tuesday through Sunday, although Marko said that the bar will be open on Mondays soon for men’s pool and Monday night football. Multiple taxi companies will deliver and pick up at Saloon No. 2.

Jim Paul can be reached at 906-774-2772 ext. 229 or at jpaul@ironmountaindailynews.com.