The historic Wonder Bar is undergoing a complete renovation in downtown Casper. Owners hope to open the new business, known as C-85 At the Wonder Bar, shortly before the eclipse event in Casper. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City)
Anyone who stumbled out of the venerable Wonder Bar for the last time in the Autumn of 2016, would be hard pressed to know know where they were if they happened to stumble back in.
The historic watering hole is in the process of getting a complete gut renovation by the new father and son owners Tony and Cole Cercy. While they went into the project intending to preserve as much history as possible, they quickly found out that not much history was left.
Multiple renovations over the decades had slowly stripped away most original features, so the Cercys decided to strip it down to the bones and start over.
The bar will feature a completely open plan with garage doors on both ground and top floors. The new restaurant will be housed in the smaller area of the former bar.
Opening day for the rechristened C-85 At the Wonder Bar scheduled for Aug. 14.
Crews work on stripping away paint and plaster from the brick walls inside the Wonder Bar on Tuesday, May 23, in downtown Casper. The ceiling of the first floor has been opened up, and seating will be placed on both the bottom and top floors. The street-facing windows on both floors will be garage door-style. The venerable Wonder Bar, which was bought by Cole Cercy and his father Tony Cercy last year, is in the process of being transformed from a dark pub and into an open, modern bar with historic undertones. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City)Crews work on stripping away paint and plaster from the brick walls inside the Wonder Bar on Tuesday, May 23, in downtown Casper. The ceiling of the first floor has been opened up, and seating will be placed on both the bottom and top floors. The street-facing windows on both floors will be garage door-style. The venerable Wonder Bar, which was bought by Cole Cercy and his father Tony Cercy last year, is in the process of being transformed from a dark pub and into an open, modern bar with historic undertones. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City)Crews work on stripping away paint and plaster from the brick walls inside the Wonder Bar on Tuesday, May 23, in downtown Casper. The ceiling of the first floor has been opened up, and seating will be placed on both the bottom and top floors. The street-facing windows on both floors will be garage door-style. The venerable Wonder Bar, which was bought by Cole Cercy and his father Tony Cercy last year, is in the process of being transformed from a dark pub and into an open, modern bar with historic undertones. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City)Crews work on gutting and rebuilding the Wonder Bar in this view looking from the front towards the rear of the building on Tuesday, May 23, in downtown Casper. The ceiling of the first floor has been opened up, and seating will be placed on both the bottom and top floors. The street-facing windows on both floors will be garage door-style. The venerable Wonder Bar, which was bought by Cole Cercy and his father Tony Cercy last year, is in the process of being transformed from a dark pub and into an open, modern bar with historic undertones. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City)Remnants of the original flooring are visible as the historic Wonder Bar undergoes a complete gut renovation on May 23, in downtown Casper. The floor, along with many other pieces of the building, was found to be too damaged to salvage. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City)The view of the Wonder Bar on the second floor from the work platform installed by crews for the renovation. Garage-style doors will be fitted on the top and ground floors. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City)Original windows on the south side of the historic Wonder Bar were bricked up decades ago. A concrete 60s-era building is now adjacent to this wall. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City)Arches for rear windows survived a number of remodels over the years and will frame the kitchen area in the new Wonder Bar. A rear addition was added to the Wonder Bar in 1982. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City)The restaurant area of the new Wonder Bar will be in the previous incarnation’s bar area, and the new bar will be in the former restaurant area. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City)Developer Cole Cercy is redeveloping the venerable Wonder Bar with his father Tony Cercy. The two bought the bar late last year and closed the business in preparation for a complete gut renovation. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City)
