Silver Dollar, Madison’s oldest bar, sets final last call

“I plan to have as many of the current and past staff on hand that day as possible and we will do a final ‘last call’ at 2:15 a.m. No program, no speeches and no (TV) cameras,” said Chuck Teasdale, the bar’s fourth-generation co-owner.

He said he wants to respect the privacy of his customers.

The Silver Dollar Tavern, 117 W. Mifflin St., near Capitol Square, opened in 1933, right after Prohibition was lifted.

Teasdale said his great grandfather, Clyde Teasdale, got the first liquor license in the city after Prohibition and it’s the oldest in the city.

“The Silver Dollar Tavern isn’t just a dive bar — it’s a Madison institution,” he said in November.

Jim Verbick, Madison deputy clerk, said the city doesn’t have a way of verifying what the oldest liquor license is.

“Our licensing system is only a couple decades old, and it doesn’t have the original date of issuance documented anywhere. Paper copies are only retained for a few years before they’re destroyed,” he said.

Hovde Properties of Madison is scheduled to buy the property on Feb. 20, Teasdale said. The sale clears the way for the company to redevelop that part of the blighted block.

As to why the bar isn’t waiting longer to close, Teasdale said, “We’ve been in business for 90 years and it will take time to close everything down, have vendor-owned equipment removed and remove personal property.”

He said in November that the decision to close the bar came with mixed emotions and that his family was evaluating whether to reopen somewhere else. Teasdale said Monday that there are no relocation plans “at this time.”

Teasdale wouldn’t reveal the purchase price, saying that there’s a non-disclosure agreement in place with the buyer. According to city property records, the land was valued this year at $186,000 with $135,000 in improvements for a total of $321,000.

The bar is known as a serious drinking spot and is a popular place for students on weekend nights.

Teasdale said it has been open from 8 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. throughout its history. Family photos of the past owners line the wall across from the bar.

All four generations of owners have involved two brothers.