90-year-old Pierce County bar listed for sale after city bans late-night alcohol sales
Nearly a month and a half after the city of Ruston banned liquor sales in city limits after midnight, a 90-year-old neighborhood bar that claimed it was targeted by the ordinance has been listed for sale.
The Unicorn Sports Bar, 5302 N. 49th St., has been open since 1934. The 6,475-square-foot lot was listed for sale on Redfin last week for the price of $2.2 million.
Its owner, Kye Barker, told The News Tribune on Tuesday she had been thinking of retiring before the ordinance was approved by the City Council in December. Barker has owned the bar for more than 23 years and said since the ban on late-night liquor sales has seen fewer customers, which has called the sustainability of her business into question.
Barker, her son and the bar’s bouncer, in addition to other Ruston bar owners and patrons, have been outspoken about their opposition to the ordinance, which banned liquor sales after midnight and requires businesses that sell alcohol to close at 1 a.m. Under state law, establishments can’t sell or serve liquor between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., but local governments can change those hours so long as they apply to all licensed establishments in their jurisdiction.
Ruston City Council members said they received complaints from neighbors about noisy bar patrons, damage to personal property and fighting. The council saw the liquor ban as a possible solution. It went into effect in the first of the year, and unless the council passes an ordinance extending or amending the law, it will expire Nov. 16, 2025.
As previously reported by The News Tribune, there are five bars in Ruston that were usually open past midnight: The Unicorn Sports Bar, Coles Bar & Grill, North End on Pearl and the Silver Cloud Hotel Tacoma at Point Ruston.
‘What did I do wrong?’
Barker told The News Tribune on Tuesday she thought the ordinance was an abuse of power by local officials. She has taken steps to address noise complaints from neighbors by putting up signs by the entrance, closing the outdoor beer garden after 10 p.m., no longer hosting live music or DJs and cutting off patrons who have had too much to drink. Barker said it’s more responsible for patrons to drink at a neighborhood bar like hers and walk home, rather than drive outside of the city limits.
Since listing the building for sale last week, Barker said Ruston’s alcohol ordinance has turned people off from buying the building, which is making it challenging for her to sell at the price she wants.
“I still have a life, but I don’t feel like I have a life. Because I am not eating right, I cannot sleep all night long,” she said. “Why? What did I do wrong?”
Barker said she’s thankful for the Unicorn, which is where she has raised her children. She bought the business in 2002 and the building in 2008, the same year her husband passed away. Barker said she works hard, putting in 10-hour days to support her children.
Barker thanked her customers and regulars for their support during this time.
Although the alcohol ordinance is expected to sunset in November, Barker said she cannot trust Ruston to do that.
“They already decided they want to pass the order” without listening to bar owners and customers, she said. “Why [did] Ruston do it like this? I think Ruston just don’t want any business to do well here. I don’t know how the city is going to grow.”
