Change is about to happen

Change is about to happen at the Bison Breath Bar & Restaurant in Ault.  The last change to the space, owned by VFW Post 4334, was 23 years ago when Ben Janssen and Jeanie McCall leased the space.  At that time they changed the ceiling tiles, put carpet on the upper part of the walls, and added a sound control booth and dining booths.  Ben liked to play his music loud,  so large speakers were also added.  An itinerant painter traveled through Ault and stopped by Continental Supply in offering to paint a mural on the side of their building.  They declined because they were going to build an addition covering their wall, but they suggested he talk to Ben & Jeanine at the Bison Breath.  They hired the painter, and the following murals was created.

There is some question as to where the name of the operation came from but Ben says that he named the bar the Bison Breath because that is what his mother used to call him.  What is known, is that the name did not come form the Bison head mounted on the wall.  The mounted head came to the bar a couple of years after the start of business.  Ben took the buffalo head as payment for some tax work that he had done.
 

Over the 23 years many activities were held in the Bison Breath and next door in the VFW hall, activities such as bands and New Year’s eve parties.  The Lion’s Club also met there on a monthly basis.  The Bison Breath provides the bar for all of the activities held in the VFW hall.

Ben died in March of 2021 and Jeanie has continued to run the business, now she is ready to retire.  The remaining days in December will be used to start the remodeling of the restaurnat.

Steve and Candice Clem are the new leaseholder of the VFW’s bar and restaurant area. The Clem family moved to Ault in the summer of 2010 with their 2 daughters.  Steve went to work for Big R Bridge, now owned by Contec Engineered Solutions in Greeley, in 2014 and is still with them today.  Candice is a member of the Ault Town Board as a trustee as well as the town representative for the Ault Library Board.
 

The bar and restaurant will be rebranded. The new name will be the B-52 Bar & Grill.  Candice & Steve want to honor veterans and increase awareness of the VFW.  Additionally, they want to increase community activity. The sign at the entry and the mural on the east wall of the building will be changed. The mural will be repainted as soon as practical, considering the weather.  The interior will be made lighter by removing the black carpeting from the walls and possibly painting the ceiling, with colors to be determined. The bathrooms will be remodeled to make them ADA accessible. There will be some changes to the food menu.  Better internet and television access will be included.

The bar will be closed for at least part of January 2026 in order to make the above changes. But they are working as hard as they can to get back up and running as quickly as possible.  The VFW is looking forward to working with the B-52 Bar & Grill.