Two of Clark County’s elected officials open new businesses in Dubois
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DUBOIS
Owners of new businesses in Dubois hope to breathe new life into their hometown
DUBOIS – Mark McClure is keeping his day job maintaining law and order while giving back to the community through a new business venture.
The 44-year-old Dubois man, who was re-elected Clark County sheriff in November, opened The Goat Locker Bar & Grill at 191 West Main Street. The bar celebrated its grand opening on June 7. The restaurant portion, which will serve brisket, steak, pulled pork sandwiches, burgers, chicken sandwiches, salad and more, is still under construction. It’s slated to open by the end of the summer.
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McClure and his wife, Lacie — with whom he runs the bar and grill — are thrilled with the turnout on opening weekend. They’re proud to offer something they hope is a draw for people traveling along Interstate 15 to visit one of the least populated areas in eastern Idaho.
“There’s really nothing else in this county,” Mark tells EastIdahoNews.com. “Somewhere (people) can come off the interstate without having to eat at a gas station (is something I’m excited about).”
Just two doors down from The Goat Locker, another one of Clark County’s elected officials opened a candy, soda and ice cream shop the same weekend as the McClures. County Clerk Stephenie Stewart is the owner of Sweet Tooth Sip and Scoop. It serves Farr’s ice cream and has a variety of mixed sodas and other treats.
“We have the best ice cream this side of Idaho Falls,” Stewart says. “There’s nothing like this shop from Idaho Falls to Dillon, Montana.”
One of the most popular drinks on the menu is the Ricky Bobby. It’s Chief Deputy Rick Donohoo’s invention and is served with Dr. Pepper, cheesecake syrup, heavy cream and whipped topping.
People across the globe have visited the shop in the last two weeks, including a couple from Australia.
Stewart and her husband jumped at the chance to open a business once their friends bought the 112-year-old building. She is pleased with the support it’s received in such a short amount of time.
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“It’s really good for the community,” Stewart says.
Opening shops in their hometown was never something the McClures or the Stewarts had planned.
Mark left the area in 2000 to begin a 21-year stint in the Navy. When he returned in 2021, he hardly recognized his community without the restaurants and bars he grew up with, and wanted to do something about it. That was his reasoning for opening The Goat Locker.
“I just figured as long as I’m going to be a member and a servant of the community, I might as well invest in the community,” says Mark.
Although he’s never worked in a bar before, Lacie says it’s where she got her start. She supported herself through college as a cocktail waitress.
She has mixed feelings about giving up a 20-year career in the medical industry to work in a bar again, but her excitement about owning a business that she hopes lures people to the area outweighs any misgivings she might have.
“My medical career fulfilled me in ways that this job won’t,” says Lacie. “But the social aspect of this job (is something I’m looking forward to).”
Stewart expresses a similar sentiment. She’s never worked in an ice cream shop before, but she remembers visiting these types of businesses as a kid with her grandparents in other communities.
Having a place where families could come together was appealing to her and that’s why she opened Sweet Tooth.
“I wanted to do the same thing here,” Stewart says. “It’s cool to have multiple generations come together and sit down, have ice cream, enjoy time and build memories.”
A bakery and craft store are in the works on the east side of the building.
A historic street corner
Opening a shop in a historic space in the center of town was a major draw for each of the business owners.
What’s now known as Silver Sage Square is a building longtime residents call the Old Clark building. It dates back to 1913, according to local historian Bonnie Stoddard. It was originally occupied by Security State Bank on the west side, the Pyke Mercantile next door, and The Dubois Realty, Mortgage and Loan Company. A liquor store moved in about 40 years later.
When Clark County was created in 1917, the sheriff’s office and courthouse occupied the east side of the building.
Mark’s grandma, Mildred McClure, worked as a magistrate judge in the old courthouse for many years. She retired in 2000 but filled in for other judges from time to time until her passing in 2020.
His grandmother’s long career of public service motivated him to get involved in politics. He was initially appointed by the county commissioners in 2022 without any previous law enforcement experience. Voters have since re-elected him.
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It’s something he shares in common with his grandma, who also had no background in law when she became a magistrate judge.
Today, Mark owns the house that once belonged to his grandma, and it’s surreal for him to think about owning a business in the same building where she practiced law.
The bar in the McClures’ establishment displays dozens of military coins Mark acquired throughout his career. Traditionally, coins are given by a commanding officer to someone they want to recognize for a job well done.
A chief’s mess coin on the south end of the bar is Mark’s favorite one. It’s a coin he was awarded by Hung Cao, who is now serving as the under secretary of the Navy.
The chiefs mess is colloquially referred to as the goat locker, a secluded area on a naval vessel where chief petty officers sleep and eat. It’s the inspiration for the name of the business.
Lacie will be the main face of the venture while her husband is busy running the sheriff’s office. She’s planning to adorn the walls of the bar and grill with other military and America-themed decor.
“I wanted to tie the look and name of the bar to my husband’s career. This was a really big part of our life,” says Lacie.
Although the McClures want the business to be profitable, Mark says the goal isn’t about making money — it’s about breathing new life into the community.
They’re hoping their efforts bring a wave of new businesses to the area.
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Stewart agrees, and with the recent paving of Yale-Kilgore Road, a 22-mile highway from Dubois to Island Park that runs through Caribou-Targhee National Forest, she hopes it becomes a gateway for tourists traveling through the area.
“It’s going to open up a lot of opportunity for tourists to come directly through Dubois. It’ll be a great thing for our community to have businesses here that can help bring in some of that tourist traffic,” Stewart says.
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