If you’re thinking that Frank and Patricia Green, the new owners of the historic Bellevue Inn, will be radically changing the place, you can put your fears to rest.

That is, unless you hate karaoke.

A karaoke night, a new DJ booth, new staff, a bigger dance floor, removing carpeting from the walls, laminate flooring and improvements to the rooms upstairs are some of the changes the Greens will be making to the Bellevue Inn.

Frank, 42 and Patricia, 45 have a long history working in bars. The pair met in a bar in Brandon, Manitoba. Patricia was a patron; Frank was serving.

“Back in our early days, where we met was in a bar, and ever since then we’ve always been together,” says Frank. “So we always thought it would be fun to have a bar in our later years and the opportunity came up, so we took it.”

After moving to the Crowsnest Pass, Patricia found work at the Bargain Shop in Blairmore. Frank has been working as a heavy-duty mechanic at Teck Coal Ltd. for 14 years and is not planning to quit his day job.

“This has always been a bar that you can drink with both your grandfather and your daughter. As long you are of legal drinking age,” says Frank.

“Basically we’re just going to modernize it,” he says. “[Turn it into] a place you can take a lady, in high heels.”
The two have been patrons of the Bellevue Inn for 11 years. They decided to buy it after longtime owners Deb and Dave Andrews put it up for sale in Dec. 2012. Acquiring the Bellevue Inn was a year-long process because the couple had to complete an environmental assessment and get the necessary licensing.

Emotions were running high when the Andrews handed over the keys to the Bellevue Inn.

“This was their home of ten years, because they lived on the premises,” says Patricia. “It was really hard for them to leave.”

The Greens are raising a teenage daughter and won’t be moving into the Bellevue Inn to keep her away from the bar scene for a few more years.

“There are a lot of things she doesn’t need to see yet,” says Frank.

Longtime patrons Enzo Brazzoni and his friends, who have been coming to the Bellevue Inn for the last 20 years, think the Greens are capable owners and think they’re doing exceptionally well at bringing this place up to a nice standard,” says Brazzoni. “They’re working hard at it, if that means anything.”

The Greens began working at the Bellevue Inn a month ago and after some staffing issues, that had Patricia put in a few long days, the Greens are settling in and preparing a Lady’s Night event for Valentines Day.

“There was always good music [here], good people,” says Frank.

“We always had fun,” adds Patricia.