Governor Gregoire returns to bar that carded her
DIANE HUBER; The Olympian
The governor finally got her drink.
In a peacemaking effort, the owner of Hannah’s Bar & Grille in downtown Olympia invited Gov. Chris Gregoire to return for a glass of wine. On Friday, she and her staff obliged.
After the Lakefair festival last July, Gregoire and her crew headed to Hannah’s for refreshments, but the bouncer turned the governor away because she’d left her identification at the mansion.
Gregoire was sure he was kidding, but he wouldn’t budge.
“Do you guys see something that I don’t see in the mirror?” she said, retelling the story.
As she turned to leave, her husband, Mike, waved to his wife from inside and said, “I’ll have one for her,” Gregoire said.
The bouncer was told to check everyone’s identification, regardless of age, because the bar is so packed during Lakefair, said day manager Jack Connor.
The bouncer had just checked the IDs of three middle-aged women ahead of Gregoire. He said he didn’t want to discriminate.
It didn’t take long for the story to hit CNN. The bar fielded about 70 phone calls from reporters and the public, Connor said.
“Some people thought it’s the funniest thing they ever heard,” he said.
Owner Todd Ruzicka decided the best way to make amends was to write the governor a letter.
“I wanted to apologize. I wanted to invite her back,” he said.
Now a sign on the door of the bar reads: “I’d card my own governor.”
