Oldest Bar in Grand Rapids is Still Closed. Will it Ever Open Again?

The oldest bar in Grand Rapids? Hmmm...The Cottage? Nope. The Pickwick? Nope. The Meanwhile? Nope. It's Nick Fink's, actually in Comstock Park, and sadly it's been closed for quite awhile. Will it ever open again?

The Gilmore Collection bought Nick Fink's several years ago, and along the way bought the Bostwick Lake Inn, the Flat River Grill in Lowell, the Kirby House in Grand Haven, The Blue Water, Rose's on Reeds Lake, Mangiamo, which is now Paddock Place on Lake Drive, and of course, The B.O.B., downtown Grand Rapids.

THE B.O.B.

We all know what has happened to the B.O.B. Gilmore wanted to sell off the B.O.B., along with the attached entertainment venue, 20 Monroe Live. 20 Monroe did sell, but not the B.O.B., so they closed it hoping the proposed buyer would finalize the deal. When it fell through, Gilmore announced they would be reopening the B.O.B. in September, although slightly re-imaged.

So where does that leave Nick Fink's? Good question and Gilmore isn't saying anything, yet.

NICK FINK'S

Nick Finks has such a colorful past. It opened in 1888. Gilmore bought it and upgraded much of it and re-opened, but, and maybe due to the pandemic, closed it again. It's still closed.

Stories abound that Al Capone and some of his gang would drive over from Chicago and safely hang out at Nick Fink's.

AL CAPONE

Ernest Hemmingway would always stop there on his way up to Walloon Lake.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY

It was also a brothel at one time. And, ghosts? Oh yeah!

GHOSTLY UPSTAIRS HALLWAY AT NICK FINK'S

There are lots of reports of workers, cleaning up at night and they would see some ghostly prostitutes watching them. Oooooooo....!

Some have even said the ghost of Nick Fink himself, a Prussian immigrant, would be seen late at night at the bar raising a glass to old Finkster beer.

No matter what, we hope this classic watering hole reopens. Come on Gilmore guys, If you can reopen the B.O.B. you can reopen Nick Fink's!