SPOKANE, Wash. – The beloved Jack and Dan’s Tavern near Gonzaga University’s campus has been named a top-10 college bar in the country by the Athletic, a subsidiary of The New York Times.
Gonzaga joins other universities with prominent athletics programs such as Michigan State University, the University of Notre Dame and Clemson University on the list.
Jack and Dan’s originally opened as a “spirits emporium” during the prohibition era in 1932 before becoming officially established in 1941. It’s gone through a handful of ownership and naming changes over the years, but has been known as it is today since the mid-1970s, according to the bar’s website.
Then-called “Joey’s,” the bar was purchased in 1961 by Jack Stockton, father of Gonzaga alumni and NBA hall-of-famer John Stockton. After running the establishment in partnership with his friend Dan Crowley III for 14 years, the name officially changed to Jack and Dan’s.
“Located In the U-District, Jack & Dan’s Tavern is your local spot to watch a game on one of our 19 TVs, grab lunch with co-workers, meet up after work for a drink, or bring your friends & family for a group get-together,” the Jack and Dan’s website says.
The tavern’s current owners are Jeffrey Donald Condill, who bought Crowley’s shares in 1991, and Kevin MacDonald, who bought Stockton’s shares in 2006 after working at the bar for almost a decade.
