Through flames and floodwaters, Charlie O’s returns to downtown Montpelier

Montpelier has its gritty heart and soul back.

That was the feeling among the regulars who crowded Charlie O’s on Thursday as it opened its doors to the public for the first time in more than six months.

“It feels wonderful. It’s still the dive for nice people,” regular Dave Rapacz said, referencing the bar’s slogan.

Floodwater and flames damaged the historic timber building on Main Street last year. After July’s floods swept through the bar’s interior, staff served drinks on the veranda for two months. Just three weeks after reopening, in the middle of a Halloween party, a fire spread from a neighboring building and closed Charlie O’s once again.

Since then, yellow tape stretched across the entrance to the state capital’s longtime watering hole. On the inside, though, staff sifted through the damage and worked hard on nursing the dive back to health.

“I’m beyond excited,” bartender Wolfie Morrow said, adding that they rebuilt the bar piece by piece, making sure it looked no different than before.

Many regulars said they could not tell the difference. They marveled at the restored artifacts and pictures on the walls that give Charlie O’s the feel of a drinking museum. The pinball machines were back and firing. The bathrooms were still labeled with the classic “Heaven” and “Hell” signs.

Most importantly to those who lined the walls applying chalk to cue sticks, the two pool tables were also back in operation.

“It’s like being home,” customer Jake Bekner said while eyeing up a corner shot.

A line of quarters gleamed on the green felt as people marked their turn for a game. Bekner said you could tell the tables were reupholstered with new felt cloth from how fast the balls were moving.

“You get a lot more action from the side walls, too,” he said, releasing a short, deft strike and sinking his shot.

By 8 p.m., when a live jazz and rock band started playing, Charlie O’s was officially at capacity. People stood and drank and laughed shoulder to shoulder. The door swung open and shut as people stepped out in twos or threes for a smoke. Someone started belting “Happy Birthday,” and half the bar joined in.

For Charlie O’s, the re-reopening represents a third chance at life. On May 12, they plan to open the veranda and host a grand opening celebration.

A good summer would go a long way toward sustaining the mood of unguarded optimism. Many Montpelier businesses are still suffering from the combined effects of the floods and the decline in downtown foot traffic from Covid-19.

For the locals, many of whom said they had been frequenting out-of-town bars in the interim, the return of their favorite local dive means they have an easy place to gather with friends again, one full of decades of memories of good nights.

“Charlie O’s is just the best damn time around,” said customer Brenda Greika, who has lived in Montpelier for more than 40 years. “It’s an institution.”

Read the story on VTDigger here: Through flames and floodwaters, Charlie O’s returns to downtown Montpelier .