By A.J. Harris
MERNA – Katie Schott stands behind the bar at Merna Tap, and looks out across the seating area at something that, after nearly 20 years in the service industry, is finally hers. The realization only lasts a moment, and then it’s back to work for the 35-year-old Schott.
Since starting as a bartender at the age of 19, Schott knew if she wanted to continue in the industry then she needed to be her own boss, so when the opportunity to buy Merna Tap presented itself, she leapt at the chance.
When asked why she chose Merna Tap, when there were other places to consider, her answer is straightforward.
“This is an iconic location,” she says. “There is a history and community here that is rare. This place has been around, in one form or another, since 1910.”
It is with this history and sense of community in mind that when she took over ownership on October 1, she decided, along with her partner Mike Baker, to keep most things familiar with only necessary upgrades and renovations. Some changes include minor tweaks to the menu, some interior renovations, and plans to construct an outdoor beer garden before St. Patrick’s Day.
She insists that the tavern isn’t just hers, however, but belongs to the community as well, the loyal customers who come from not only Merna and Bloomington, but from many surrounding small towns.
“This place is theirs,” she says, acknowledging all of those who have made Merna Tap their go-to establishment.
“Everything in this building has character, it is what it is for a reason,” she adds.
Along with the building and business, she also inherited all the employees, each and every one deciding to stay with her. Schott says that she could never have made any of the progress she and her partner have made without them.
“We are so grateful, their knowledge and help have been invaluable,” she says.
All of their collective hard work, though which according to Schott will never really be completed, culminates this Saturday, November 2, with an official grand opening celebration, lasting from 11:00 AM to 1:00 AM.
There will be food food specials all day and live music from Gibson City-native classic rock group The Fairchilds from 8:00 PM-11:00 PM.
Schott and Baker also wanted to provide a safe way for celebrants to travel, so they are providing a free shuttle service that will leave on the hour, every hour, from 6:00 PM to midnight from Cheeks Bar and Grill in Bloomington traveling to Merna.
But after the party is over and everyone has gone home, Schott knows that the work will not be finished. She knows that running a tavern isn’t just about pouring cold drinks and serving meatball subs, rather it is about building a place of one’s own while paying service to the loyal patrons who make it all possible. It is about creating an atmosphere where someone can walk into a place a stranger but leave as a member of a community. It is about not the building in which a person sits to have a meal or a drink, but about the experience one consumes instead. Schott realizes that this work will never be done, but after nearly 20 years of practice, knows that she is more than able to meet that challenge.
A.J. Harris can be reached at [email protected]
