In the Clover ...

MARK — Not every town has one, but many small towns in America are blessed with “the club.” It’s that somewhat elusive place you can go to have fun with friends or family and know that you’re going to have a great evening. The food is always good; the people are always friendly; and you’re only a stranger the first time you walk through the front door.

Not surprisingly in Mark, “the club” is the Clover Club, and the first owner will always remember its birthday.

“We opened May 1, 1970. I’ll never forget that day,” said Ron “Puta” Moriarty. “We bought the building when I first got out of the service in January of 1970. Me and my dad came out and started remodeling. The bathrooms were outside, and there were only two lights. I still got the pot belly stove that used to heat the place.”

Moriarty, his father and his brothers remodeled the bar before opening; but the remodeling never really ended; it just stopped from time to time. What started as the corner bar soon added more seating, then room for bands and dancing. The kitchen grew, and a new dining area was added in the back. A patio and an indoor grill were recently added as well.

Although the Clover Club opened nearly 45 years ago, it hasn’t stayed in business throughout those years. Moriarty sold the business to a couple of friends in 1993, and six years later it was sold again. Business fell off, and the doors closed in the early 2000s.

“I’d drive by and see the windows falling out and all of the hard work my dad and I put into it,” Moriarty said. “One day, the bank called me up and said, ‘We’re trying to sell the place, but it ain’t going too well.’ So I saw it as time.”

Moriarty repurchased the bar — and did some more remodeling — and opened again in 2005. But while the business grew successful again, he started having some health issues.

Moriarty sold the bar about a year ago to Gena DeGroot, who was one of his staff at the time, and her husband, Scott. While the ownership changed, not much else has. DeGroot wants to keep the atmosphere the same as it has been, while slowly adding touches of her own.

“I want them to feel like it’s still the same place,” she said. “This is Puta’s bar, and we really don’t want to change that.”

Moriarty spent time talking to DeGroot about her thoughts and plans for quite a few months before selling the Clover Club, making sure he was leaving it in the best hands possible.

“She’s worked here for a couple of years, and she knows the people and what they like,” Moriarty said. “She’ll be great.”

“I’ve worked in the business for 20 years. I really wanted my own place, and this was just great,” DeGroot said. “This place is a treasure, and it’s a real gift Puta’s given me to run it.”

The food has long been the star in the Clover Club, with areas for casual and family dining and a banquet area that can be reserved. The meat and produce are fresh, and a charcoal grill is stoked and ready for steaks, chops and fish.

Friday and Saturday nights are full menu nights with steaks, chops, seafood, fried chicken and more. Monday night is taco night; and there are wing specials on Wednesday and grill specials on Thursday nights.

The Clover Club is open daily for lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and for dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. at 105 E. Hennepin St. in Mark. The phone number is 815-339-6233.