Rumors have been swirling around the building at 211 Keystone Ave., the former home of the bar Shanty Dolan’s and, before that, Mama Bear’s Lounge. I had heard a number of people were interested in taking over the bar nestled on one of Reno’s busiest streets.
One rumor proved true: T. Duncan Mitchell, former owner of Chapel Tavern and Von Bismarck, and current owner of Ryan’s Saloon, is working on another bar concept. I sat down with Mitchell to talk about his new cocktail bar, Dead to Rights—slated to open by Christmas—and to hear about his vision for the space.
Mitchell stumbled upon an opportunity last year when he chatted with the former owners of Shanty Dolan’s at a school function for his kids, and that chance meeting eventually led him to take over the space on Keystone.
Mitchell’s concept for Dead to Rights is a return to the world of quality cocktails that built his reputation as one of the founding fathers of Reno’s cocktail scene. Back in 2007, when he opened Chapel Tavern, ordering an old fashioned was somewhat novel. Since then, the world of cocktails and Mitchell have both evolved, with better access to products and techniques than ever.
“There are so many new techniques and so many new things happening in the cocktail world—and because it’s me, I follow that stuff,” Mitchell said. “I just haven’t had the right outlet in the last six years or so, but I still have a passion for drinks, and I really want to be creative again.”
His goal is to focus his drinks on high-tech techniques like clarification and acid adjustment, paired with approachable drink concepts that people love. This high-tech, lowbrow concept has become a winning combination in markets across the U.S. after it was made famous by award-winning bars like Yacht Club in Denver.
Today’s bar landscape is not what it once was; many talented people are racking their brains over how to get people excited about bars again. When I asked Mitchell how he planned to bring a new generation of drinkers to Dead to Rights, he gave a simple answer: Be approachable. He believes the era of the pretentious bartender overexplaining the importance of your whiskey cocktail has alienated a generation of drinkers.
“The problem was, I think the industry went too far into the ‘cool bartender’ phase, and we lost a younger generation who just want to go out and have fun,” Mitchell said. “Fast forward to now, we can do really cool stuff and be engaging to people, but in a way that is super-approachable, easy and fun.”
“The problem was, I think the industry went too far into the ‘cool bartender’ phase, and we lost a younger generation who just want to go out and have fun.”
T. Duncan Mitchell
Mitchell’s biggest legacy in the Reno bar scene is the people he trained. Some have gone on to own some of Reno’s best bars. Sean Stitt worked for Duncan for many years and then bought Chapel Tavern from him. The same goes for Joe Belanger, who worked for Duncan at 40 Mile Saloon and later took ownership. Loren DeVincenzi, co-owner of Rum Sugar Lime, and Lex Niemann, owner of The Matchbox, both got their start under Mitchell’s tutelage.
When I asked him how he planned to continue that legacy of building up amazing staff to execute his vision, he said the staffers must really want to be there.
“Buy-in is a requirement,” he told me. “I like hiring passionate kids; I can train them, but they need to want it. ‘I hired you for a reason; you have a great personality. Let these people see it.’”
Mitchell’s goal for Dead to Rights is to be a place where everyone can explore great cocktails, made by people who know how to make them, in a way that feels familiar and fun. As simple as it sounds, it is an ambitious mission, but I’m confident one of Reno’s best can accomplish it.
