Tequila Dan's is closing

It's time to hang up the sombrero.

After 15 years in business, Tequila Dan's will close its doors Saturday.

Owners Dan Hague and Alfred Verschell said it's been a fun run, but it's time to bow out. The Tex-Mex restaurant at 2300 Highway 50 East hit hard times after freeway construction began about a year and a half ago.

Hague, 57, joked that he often had to parachute himself to the restaurant to get through the freeway construction. His voice broke slightly while he talked about the restaurant. Hague decided to sell so that he can help his wife, Jackie, run DJ's RV in Mound House. His eldest son, who also works at the restaurant, will move over to the RV business with him.

"My wife needs help," Hague said Thursday. "It's a pretty demanding business. Thank you Carson City for a wonderful 15 years."

The Hagues came through Carson City 15 years ago on the way to Lake Tahoe. They stopped in Carson City and "fell in love with the area," he opened the first Tequila Dan's on South Carson Street that year.

"I thought we'd only stay for a few years but we ended up staying 15 and raised our kids here," Hague said.

They also operated a Tequila Dan's in Gardnerville. They opened the Highway 50 East location about five years ago. He's been in the restaurant business for 25 years.

Verschell, 78, said the Hagues are his Carson City family.

"I'm sorry that we're closing it," he said. "It is just one of those things. We had a good business until they closed us down with the work on Highway 50."

Verschell isn't sure what he'll do now. He's still the president of the Dwan Elevator Co. of California. He also does engineering on incline elevators. He got involved with the restaurant because it was "like a night out for me.

"I know nothing about restaurants; I was an elevator man."

Verschell still has to rebuild his home, which burned down last summer in the Waterfall fire. The Hagues housed him in an RV in their front yard. He'll also continue working with the Hagues at the RV business.

Mulligans Inc., will open a "food, fun and spirits" sports bar in the vacated building on the corner of the highway.

Damon George, a partner in the Reno company, said they look forward to moving into the Carson City neighborhood. The sale is final April 1.

"We look forward to serving quality food and creating an Irish sports bar," he said.

George said the traditional sports bar menu will be complemented by about four Irish dishes. It will have 15 slot machines. His partner in the venture is Nate Lance.

George is a former manager of Gordon Biersch Brewing Co. in Henderson. They plan to open Mulligans in May or June.

n Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.