Controversial owner says Old State Saloon in Eagle is for sale. Here’s why

EAGLE (Idaho Statesman) – After just three years in business, Old State Saloon, a watering hole for Treasure Valley conservatives, is for sale, according to owner Mark Fitzpatrick, who turned the bar and former trading post into a lightning rod for regional and national culture wars.

According to a post on the saloon’s website, the building features 4,800 square feet of space and is listed at $2.4 million. It says the city liquor license held by the business is available for an additional $500,000, calling it “rare and highly coveted.” The Old State Saloon brand, meanwhile, is listed as “a transferrable cultural asset” that could be acquired outside of the property purchase.

“When you speak truth that the Machine cannot tolerate, and when that Machine realizes it cannot buy you, blackmail you, intimidate you, or control you, it eventually turns to every other tool at its disposal,” Fitzpatrick wrote on his website, citing “Lawfare. Regulatory pressure. Legal harassment. And sometimes worse” under why he’s selling.

Fitzpatrick, a retired law enforcement officer from California, has been a polarizing figure in the Treasure Valley.

Under Fitzpatrick’s ownership, Old State Saloon drew local and national media attention for hosting culturally and politically conservative-themed events.

In June 2024, the business drew notice for declaring “Heterosexual Awesomeness Month,” offering themed promotions and positioning itself around traditional family values.

In late 2025, the bar sparked widespread public backlash and safety concerns after launching a promotion offering free beer in exchange for tips that led to the deportation of undocumented immigrants.

Other promotions have included giving away an AR-15-style rifle during a “Conspiracy Theory Trivia Night.”

In late 2025, Fitzpatrick drew more attention when he issued a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Boise Mayor Lauren McLean.

He ran for Idaho governor as a Republican this year, losing to incumbent Gov. Brad Little in the primary with 29% of the vote.

RELATED | Saloon owner, ex-Idaho Supreme Court justice take steps to run for governor

In an interview with the Idaho Statesman regarding the sale, Fitzpatrick alluded to forces beyond his control forcing his hand in listing the saloon.

“The more people that follow you, the more attention you get, and the more of a threat you become to people who don’t like the truth, the more you become a target,” Fitzpatrick told the Statesman by phone. “There’s people that have levers of power in our society, and it’s very clear that some of them are after me.”

Fitzpatrick went on to say that he would be OK if somebody buys the real estate and decides to go with a different concept, saying listing the saloon was “just something that I have to do.”

Located just off State Street and North Eagle Road, the building was constructed in 1906 for the Orville Jackson Drug Store. Fitzpatrick purchased the building and took over the former Gathering Place bar in November 2022. He remodeled the interior, upgraded the tap and bar systems and reopened the venue as Old State Saloon in February 2023.

The bar is a relatively new business operating inside a historic building originally constructed as a pharmacy and general store. For decades, the business served as a commercial and social anchor for the early agricultural settlement of Eagle.

“Putting it up for sale doesn’t mean that it gets sold,” Fitzpatrick told the Statesman. “There’s ways that potentially a business partner could come into play that would be able to help solve the problems that I’m facing… that in my current situation, it’s just not possible to handle on my own.

“This is just something that I have to do,” he said. “And if it turns out that the best solution is somebody comes along and buys the building and real estate and decides to go with a different concept, then that would be okay, too. So it’s just a matter of what God provides and what the best solution is.”