Meet Skyler McKinley | Regular, Proprietor, & Occasional Barkeep

We had the good fortune of connecting with Skyler McKinley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Skyler, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’ve had a bit of a lucky run of a career in politics, government, and media – and I don’t think I’m breaking any news when I tell you that a lot of that work, across the country and for much of American history, takes place over a dram or two at local taverns. Bars are where democracy happens. They’re special places where you never need to be in a hurry, where you can sit down and discuss the news of the day, where you catch up on what’s going on in your community with members of your community. Whether you drink or not, you just can’t beat neighborhood bars when it comes to fostering connectivity, meaning, and even a little joy and whimsy here and there. For all those reasons, and because I spent so much of my adult life hanging out in bars, I knew I wanted to own my own bar, someday, though I didn’t know when, and it certainly wasn’t part of any 5- or 10-year plan. A little over two years ago, I stumbled across this beautiful little bar in the singular mountain community of Oak Creek, Colorado. As it happened, the bar was for sale – and I figured out a way to take it over. We opened under a new name and my ownership in July of 2021, and we’ve been open every, single day since. I always say that while it’s my name on the property deed, it’s not my bar. It belongs to the people of Oak Creek since, without them, it wouldn’t be the sort of community gathering space that makes this business worth doing.

What should our readers know about your business?
Whether you’re a hardened regular, new to town, or just rolling through on your way somewhere else, you should always feel welcomed whenever you step foot in a bar. The folks behind the pine should greet you with a smile, while those on the other barstools strike up a conversation and encourage you to kick up your boots and stay a while. Sure, we sell beer, liquor, and food – but you can get all those things at home for cheaper. The reason you go out to eat or drink is because of a sense of community and an inviting, interesting environment to take it all in.

I’m exceptionally proud we’ve created an affordable place that encourages people to be themselves alongside other folks who are comfortable being themselves. And, hell, if you want to sit quietly and just enjoy your beer, you should be able to do that, too. The Oak Creek Tavern is a community-focused, “come-as-you-are,” shot-and-beer joint where you’ll always walk away with a good story or two. That’s tough for any bar to achieve, let alone one in its first two years, and it means a lot to me we already have that reputation. Even if I didn’t own it, this is a place I’d want to drink. That rules!

One big lesson I’ve taken to heart as I look back on our past and ahead to our future is that the bar business is not something you should get into for the money. Costs will always increase, you need to pay your staff exceptionally well in order to retain the folks that give the place its heart (and keep the doors open every day), and you’ll cringe at the idea of raising prices on customers who, without fail, you’ll start to see as friends. We’re able to pay our bills with a little extra to buy neon signs or upgrade our barstools, here and there, and we’ve accomplished that by selling Coors Banquet for $3.50 and PBR for $2.50. I’m not personally coming out ahead on any of this, financially, and I pay the same as any other customer whenever I’m at the bar. Accountants and financial advisers would probably look at the thing as a bad investment, on paper. But in spirit, it’s the coolest thing I’ve ever worked on. It gives me a project that’s defined, whole cloth, by the choices I make. I’m able to lead a team of exceptional people. And I’ve found belonging in a magical community. All of that has been worth whatever it costs.

Fundamentally: You shouldn’t really launch any small business for the money. If you’re lucky and your income grows, your costs and desires tend to grow in even pace – and so you’re always looking for more money. That’s no way to live. Do the thing because you’re passionate about the thing and you want to enjoy all the various ways doing the thing changes your life. That’s how you find happiness. I consider myself a happy, actualized sort of person – and I’m really grateful for that. I wouldn’t be here if money was the most important thing to me. Hell, it’s not even on the top ten list of most important things to me. And as the business continues to grow and succeed, that’s the reason why.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve hosted friends from across the country in the Yampa Valley, and I’ve learned that there’s something here for you, no matter what you’re into. If I’m setting the itinerary? Night one, I’m sure we’d hang out at the bar, at first, where hopefully we’d enter into conversation with David Moran – a longtime musician, history buff, and one of my favorite “irregulars.” He’d have all sorts of stories about this region’s rich mining and ranching history. For dinner? We’d mosey across the street to the Colorado Bar & Grill, where I’d probably get a chicken sandwich, since that’s what I always order there. I love it. Probably back to the Tavern for a nightcap, then to bed.

The next day, we’d decamp to Steamboat Springs, where we could sweat out the previous night’s choices at the world-famous Strawberry Park Hot Springs. After a few hours there, we’d head into downtown Steamboat for a stroll down Lincoln Avenue and a light tapas meal at Bésame. We’d swing into the historic F.M. Light & Sons for a little shopping, then probably grab a beer at the Old Town Pub before heading back to Oak Creek for dinner at Francioisi Brothers Pizza and Meatballs and then, if we’re lucky, a few hours at the Tavern. My treat.

The next day, an early morning to head to the Flat Tops Wilderness Area to hike the Devil’s Causeway. We’d be off the mountain by 1:00pm at the latest, and head back to Oak Creek for tacos at Lupita’s Cantina. I’d probably recommend a nap after that. Then we’d head back up to Yampa for dinner at the Antlers Café and Bar, where hopefully we’ll run into Swede sipping a Coors Banquet and swapping some stories.

The Museum of Northwest Colorado, an hour’s drive away in Craig, is one of the best in the state – though the nearby Wyman Living History Museum gives something like Meow Wolf a run for its money. The hike around Fish Creek Falls, just outside of Steamboat, is stunning – and gives you an opportunity to see the world-famous Coors waterfall up close and personal. There’s world-class rafting on the Colorado River just south of Oak Creek. You’re an hour from I-70, with easy access to all the splendors of that tourist corridor, though honestly you’d never need to drive that direction, since Steamboat Springs is only twenty minutes down the road.

All Coloradans should make a point of heading this way sometime soon. No matter who you are, you’ll get a great story out of it. And, hey, you might even walk away owning a bar. That’s what happened to me!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’ve had so many astounding mentors over the years, not to mention unyielding support from friends and family even when I come up with a hare-brained idea like buying a bar in an old coal-mining town of 900 people in the mountains of Northwest Colorado. I owe these folks more than I can describe, and I sure hope they know that. Their love is more than I deserve.

If I were to send a message of gratitude to anybody, though, it’d be to the people of Oak Creek. I had no roots in this area, no connections to the area, no understanding of the area until I rolled through town one day, had a couple of (or a couple too many) Jack Daniel’s, and convinced myself I knew exactly what I was doing and I was going to buy a bar. The whole premise is, frankly, ridiculous – and the people here had every reason to ridicule me or at the very least, distrust me as I took over a community institution that’s been a bar, off and on, for over 100 years. That didn’t happen. In fact, everybody in town has welcomed me with open arms and genuine kindness to the extent Oak Creek often feels more like home than anywhere else I’ve ever lived. I’m so grateful for that, and in everything I do, I try to give back as the caretaker of the place for this period of its history and to be mindful of the story of this place and these people. They matter.

Website: https://oakcreektavern.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oakcreektav/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skylermckinley/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkylerMcKinley

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakCreekTav/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/oak-creek-tavern-oak-creek

Other: https://goo.gl/maps/UZ6dDjekYJWYgcim7