Lou Dart, owner of Lou and Mary Anne’s Bar in Bee, serves fish to Bill and Kathy Payne of Seward Nov. 30 as part of the bar’s long-standing Friday night fish fry tradition. The Paynes said the fish fry in Bee was their first date 15 years ago.
Lou Dart spent 26 years of his life serving his country in the United States Air Force and the last 44 years serving his customers at Lou and Mary Anne’s Bar in Bee.
Even though he just turned 90, he still fills out “99 percent of the order forms” for the business, chats with customers every day and regularly drives to Milford to visit his wife, Mary Anne, at her nursing home.
How does he stay sharp enough to still accomplish so much?
Dart gives credit to the feeling of community.
Dart was born and raised on a farm outside Green Bay, Wisconsin, and the Green Bay Packers memorabilia scattered around the carpet-walled bar and grill is a testament to that.
After high school, Lou enlisted in the Air Force and met his future wife, Mary Anne Policky, who originally hails from Dwight, only 15 minutes away from Bee.
He took his family with him almost everywhere he was stationed, minus his time serving in the Korean and Vietnam wars.
His eight children grew up all around the world: Anchorage, Alaska; Dover, Delaware; Heidelberg, Germany; Madrid, Spain; Othello, Washington; Honolulu, Hawaii; and eventually Lincoln.
One thing Dart always made sure to do once he arrived in a new city was to visit the local shopping centers. This gave him a chance to meet people and get involved in the community.
While other airmen spent their time with fellow Americans and shopped at the base’s stores, Dart would spend his money in the local economy and become familiar with the community along the way.
“I think that’s the answer to enjoying your career as a military person,” he said. “Don’t just stay with the military on your base. Get out there and meet the local people.”
One thing Dart found was that the “Golden Rule” applied everywhere he went.
“I can honestly tell you I’ve never been any place in this world where I was treated badly,” Dart said, “regardless of the circumstances.”
He treated people how he’d like to be treated, and it never failed. It didn’t matter if he was in Thailand, Spain, Vietnam or Korea. A smile given was a smile received.
Dart brought that appreciation for community back home.
Before the bar was his, it was a favorite haunt for him and his wife.
He enjoyed the atmosphere and friendliness of the people.
“They were very nice to me as a stranger going with a local girl,” he said.
When the bar closed in 1973, Lou decided to buy the property in 1974 and retire from the military to start his new career.
While the previous establishment was mostly a drinking joint, Dart increased the emphasis on food and expanded it twice, buying the two connected buildings to the west and increasing the bar’s capacity to 220.
Given his Catholic background and the large Catholic presence in the area, it only made sense that Dart started up his now-famous Friday night fish frys right away.
Now the bar is not only a place to grab a beer, it is a place to sit down and eat a good meal with family and friends.
Dart said the bar is open every day 10 to 20 minutes before 8 a.m. until at least 10 p.m., 365 days a year.
These long hours provide the locals with the time they need to get together and connect whenever they’re able, and Dart says that’s the key to running a bar in a village as small as Bee.
While bars in other nearby towns and villages are closing at increasing rates, he said his community-oriented business philosophy is what has kept Lou and Mary Anne’s open for 44 years.
“I have people come in this place from all over the county to get drinks, food, et cetera, so why not be open?” he said.
Dart said he thinks too many people are in the bar business for their own benefit instead of the community’s benefit.
This difference in demand, from both the bar owners and community members, is what makes or breaks a bar.
“My philosophy is if you’re going to be in this business, provide the service people expect from you,” he said.
Dart said people in small towns and villages like Bee need a place to gather and connect, and he’s providing just that.
He attributes his sharpness and energy to working every day and talking to everyone who walks in the door.
He’s always quick to say hello or joke around with anyone who crosses the threshold.
Everyone knows him by name, and he returns the courtesy.
Dart said of his Friday night fish frys, “My main job is going around speaking to people.”
Not only is Lou and Mary Anne’s Bar a drinking and eating establishment, it’s the closest thing one can find to a thriving community center.
For anyone wanting some tasty Icelandic cod, a cold beer or just some easy conversation, Lou Dart will happily provide.
