Banking on making Hebron a destination

HEBRON – Hebron might not be the first town people think of when they think “destination.”

Not everyone is Daniel Hart, however, because that’s exactly what he sees.

Hart has owned Woodstock’s D.C. Cobb’s bar and restaurant since 2008 and is expanding his brand to Hebron with Hart’s Saloon.

Co-owned with fiancée Jessica Kopidlansky, Hart’s Saloon sits along Hebron’s Main Street – or Route 47. It’s a prime location, Hart said, hoping to capitalize on the traffic to and from Lake Geneva.

It may be on the way north, don’t misunderstand Hart’s Saloon – it’s not some bourgeoisie tourist stop. This place is all biker. Or an “upscale biker bar,” as Hart likes to say.

“It’s a place we would want to hang out in on the way to Lake Geneva,” he said, adding that he hopes to have Hart’s Saloon open this month.

Around the U-shaped bar – made from wood reclaimed from the former Elk’s Lodge in Woodstock – are tall leather seats, made extra wide and extra padded for motorcycle riders out on a long ride. And behind it, a custom tapper built to look like a motorcycle chain.

Jack Daniels barrels were turned into sinks, and the Tennessee whiskey flows from a tap. A motorcycle and vintage gas pump are displayed in the front window.

Hart pointed to the saloon’s wood-fire pizza oven that reaches temperatures of 600 to 700 degrees, cooking crispy, thin-crust pizzas with all fresh ingredients.

Hart boughtthe building from the village in December 2012, and invested $150,000 more for a face-lift, he said. There was quite a bit of work to get the bar ready – jack hammering plaster walls to expose Chicago-style bricks, painting the outside a bright red, and replacing equipment and overhauling the bathrooms, complete with TVs so patrons don’t have to miss a second of the game.

Though Hart has had success at D.C. Cobb’s, he said Hart’s Saloon is a different concept. Cobb’s is all about the burgers and craft brews, and the saloon will cater to those making their way through, complete with package alcohol and ice for sale.

“We think Hebron is a great destination,” Hart said. “Crandall’s is a staple here. Jessica and I go there for dinner all the time. They’re proof that you can make a destination place [in Hebron].”

Opening Soon

Hart's Saloon
Where: 9932 Main St., Hebron
Information: Visit its Facebook page by searching Hart's Saloon