How the Happy Hour Bar maintained a history of class in Sioux Falls: Looking back
It seems to me that the bars and cocktail lounges in the middle of the last century were much different than the bars of today. Like modern bars, they were places to let off steam, listen to music and share life’s events with family and friends, but the bars of yore just seem classier.
Maybe it was because of the way people dressed: Men in hats, coats, and ties, and women in cocktail dresses. They sipped classy mixed drinks and listened to jazz combos that played at a reasonable volume. I’m sure most of this perception comes from movies and is not necessarily the truth. Still, The Happy Hour Bar strikes me has having been one of those places.
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The Happy Hour Bar, which once stood at 303 S. Phillips Ave., entertained and served patrons for 32 years from 1940 until 1972. The bar was situated just south of The Palace of Sweets at the southwest corner of 11th and Phillips. Before it became The Happy Hour, it was The Stockade.
The Stockade opened in June of 1938. Don Hetland was its first proprietor, and he liked to keep his customers entertained. Musical acts, including small swing bands, performed on a regular basis. It was a classy joint with a lounge atmosphere.
By January of 1939, Hetland had sold The Stockade to Kathryn Kennedy and her son, Robert. When it came to the day-to-day operation of the bar, Kathryn was mostly hands-off, aside from making sure the establishment had a beer, and later, a liquor license. Robert ran the joint with less of a musical bent than its predecessor, adding a bowling alley and pool tables in the basement. The Stockade quickly drew the ire of the city commission due to its rowdy clientele. By early January, 1940, the commission had refused to renew the liquor license for the Kennedys’ establishment. It was at this point that the bar was sold to Moriz M. Levinger.
Moriz Levinger did some remodeling, and in May of 1940, reopened the bar as Mory’s Happy Hour. Levinger brought the classy atmosphere back to the bar. He obtained exclusive rights in Sioux Falls for Michelob and Budweiser on tap. Levinger made sure that all whiskey on hand was at least 4 years old. Scotch drinkers would have a choice of 15 different brands. There was one item on the menu that sparked particular interest: “We will also have, for those who demand it, a drink to be known as ‘Blitzkreig’. Only one of these will be served to a customer and the price will be plenty, but it will include a taxi fare home.”
When liquor taxes increased on July 1, 1940, Mory’s absorbed that expense, and promised that drinks would not be watered down to make up for it.
On June 23,1959, Mory suffered a heart attack and died. He had been recovering from other recent cardiac events and seemed to be doing well. Mory’s wife, Carol, continued running Mory’s for a while before selling it to Harry Quam in 1960.
Harry’s Happy Hour had its grand opening on October 28, 1960. Quam had some experience in hospitality, having worked at the Carpenter and Cataract hotels over the prior 15 years. In August of 1964, Quam opened the Crimson Carpet Lounge, which was adjacent to the Happy Hour. This cocktail lounge featured live music. Early on, vocals were provided on a nightly basis by Mrs. O.L. Foster, stage name Bunny “Bumps” Love. Quam prided himself on a clean establishment with a warm and welcoming ambience.
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Harry Quam exited the bar business on October 31, 1972. To celebrate his years in the industry, he held a “grand closing” of Harry’s Happy Hour. He wanted to wish everyone well and to thank his patrons for 12 years of fun, music, and memories. Harry went on to work at Sid’s Crown Liquor.
The business that replaced The Happy Hour was The VIP Lounge and Cellar Bar, run by Swede Sederstrom. This business lasted until 1978. Argus Leader reviewer Marshall Fine lamented that it was one of the last downtown bars to feature go-go dancers. Only Earl’s Pizza and Frenchie’s Bar remained. It was the end of an era. Minerva’s, which had been next store since 1977, eventually expanded into the old Happy Hour space.
The Happy Hour came to my attention when Anja Hoekman wrote to ask what I knew about it. She and her husband, Don, met there and recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at Minerva’s, under the same roof where they met. Imagine the number of similar stories with similar origins at The Happy Hour.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: How the Happy Hour Bar maintained a history of class in Sioux Falls: Looking back
