Iconic Rocking R Bar Rebuilt
By Paul Tash
Montana Tavern Times
Only the name and the sign are recognizable.
Everything else about the rebuilt Rockin' R is brand spankin' new.
The iconic Bozeman bar, a second home to many Montana State University students for generations, reopened July 26 with a packed house of well-wishers and party-goers.
The bar, originally opened in 1947, was destroyed in a natural gas explosion in March 2009 that also flattened an entire city block on Main Street and killed one woman.
“We were devastated by the fire,” said owner Ralph Ferraro. “But we started planning the reconstruction the day of the fire.”
Ferraro purchased the Rocking
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R in 1978.
“I graduated a lot of kids from MSU,” he said with a laugh.
He said he missed the last two years of students, and is anxious to welcome them back.
“The reputation of the Rockin' R has helped carry us through,” he said, which was the reason for such a large crowd at the grand reopening.
And after four months of cleanup following the explosion, followed by months of planning, and another 13 months of actual construction, the “R” bar is back in business.
“It came out great,” Ferraro said.
One of the few things that survived the explosion was the tavern's historic sign, though it suffered some damage. However, the red-and-white sign showing a Rocking R brand symbol has been completely renovated and is shining like new once again at 11 E. Main.
The new bar's design includes a big door – about 10 feet wide – at the front of the tavern. The door opens like a garage door out to Main Street, inviting the outdoors in.
The rectangle-shaped serving bar in the middle of the place has a beautiful granite top that matches the tops of the many surrounding tables and buddy bars. The floor is made of colored concrete.
The Sideline Grill is located right in the tavern and serves lunch, dinner and late-night snacks.
The bar is 4,500 square feet, about 1,000 more than the old one. Most of the extra space has been dedicated to a new recreation area, which sports four pool tables, and roomier bathrooms.
Like the previous Rockin' R, the new one boasts a decidedly Bobcat theme.
A slightly burnt and dented goalpost hangs from the ceiling towards the back. The goal post hung in the old bar, where fans carried it from Bobcat Stadium after the MSU football team defeated the University of Montana in 2005.
Bobcat sports photos hang in several places, and a stuffed Bobcat sits above the wide hallway leading to bathrooms and the rear exit. Even the bathrooms are finished in blue and gold.
The Rocking R will also cater to the “sports enthusiast,” said Mike Hope, vice president of operations. The bar boasts 18 50-inch LCD televisions, and Hope said “we have all the TV sports packages.”
Another team Hope and Ferraro praised was its planning and construction group, led by architect Jerry Locati and Martel construction.
“We'd have the same team again,” Hope said.
The bar's opening has also created some much-needed employment in the Bozeman area. The Rocking R Bar employs 20 people, including two – Ashley Patera and supervisor Tony Kaber – from the original bar. The Sideline Grill employs an additional 15.
The Rocking R is located inside the new 30,000-square-foot F&H Building. The building will also house Bozeman's second Santa Fe Red's, set to open in the fall with a “unique setting that's a little different than what you see around Bozeman,” Hope said.
He said it took a strong partnership to get the Rocking R rebuilt.
“We really appreciate the city of Bozeman, Sen. Max Baucus' office, and the county,” Hope said. “Without their help we couldn't get this done. It shows what can be done when everyone works together.”