by Hayden Seder
The Mint, a Hailey restaurant and music venue developed by actor Bruce Willis in the mid-1990s, was recently purchased and remodeled by Jenni and Paul Conrad of Hailey. Owners of Conrad Construction, Jenni and Paul were joined in the venture by silent investors.
After sitting empty for the past 10 years, the newly revived Mint opened its upstairs music venue on Aug. 19 with Reckless Kelly. There was a sneak pop-up show featuring Eric Lindell in mid-July, too. The downstairs restaurant portion will open in October and the upstairs will continue to host great musical acts.
Mention the infamous original Mint (pre-Willis) and people of a certain age in the Wood River Valley will have memories of the rowdy bar scene.
“It was a riot,” said a longtime Valley resident. “After the rodeo on the Fourth of July, people would ride their horses into there and have rowdy card games. It was the best bar that has ever existed in this Valley.”
After Willis bought and remodeled the building, The Mint became a dining and musical venue destination for the whole Valley and it was not uncommon to spy various movie stars and business moguls in attendance.
Musical talents such as B.B. King, Leon Russell, Dumpstaphunk, Buffalo Springfield, Steve Miller and Bo Diddley were just some of the acts that rocked the nightclub, in addition to Willis, who often played with his band, The Accelerators.
Jenni Conrad said this sense of nostalgia and community is what she and her husband aspired to bring back with their purchase of The Mint.
“We’re been here 27 years now,” Jenni said. “Paul and I have businesses in the Valley and we remember when The Mint was in its heyday. The Valley is growing rapidly, and it seemed like the right time for us to come in and make an offer on the building and breathe some life back into the Valley.”
The Conrads intend to keep much of the vibe that Willis’ Mint had, starting with the upstairs music venue.
“We really wanted to keep the authenticity to the music venue,” Conrad said. “Great bands graced that stage and people have so many memories, so we wanted to keep it the same.”
To maintain the space as a great music venue, the Conrads rebuilt the entire sound board but otherwise only made small upgrades and repainted the walls. When patrons walk upstairs, The Mint looks just like it did 10 years ago.
“That’s my favorite part of the upstairs,” Conrad said. “When people walk in for the first time, you can see the wheels turning in their brain and the memories come flooding back.”
The restaurant downstairs is still under construction but the Conrads hope to have it up and running later this fall. Significant changes were made to the downstairs, including building out the entire kitchen, redecorating, and outfitting the area with comfortable booths to create a cozy, modern-industrial feel. The outdoor alley area adjacent to The Mint was also purchased by the Conrads and, during summers, will be open for dining with lounge seating and table service. They also have a 1966 Airstream Bambi that they will convert into a bar cart for next summer. On the menu will be “downhome cooking with an uptown feel and flavor.”
Two live music shows are planned for October. The Robbie Walden Band will play with a three-piece horn section on Saturday, Oct. 13, with opener Country Lips. The weekend before Halloween, Lounge on Fire will play with opener Mother Yeti. For more information on upcoming shows and updates on the opening of the downstairs, visit haileymint.com.
