FARGO-A downtown Fargo storefront could transform from a high-end interior design store to a new drinking establishment.

The location, 506 Broadway, is now home to McNeal & Friends, a retail storefront that specializes in fine interiors.

McNeal & Friends plans to close the Broadway location in late March and immediately reopen on April 2 at the Shoppes at BLU commercial strip at 32nd avenue and 45th street south in Fargo.

At the same time, Dave Erickson, an owner and operator of a number of drinking establishments in the area, is planning to transform the McNeal & Friends space into a bar.

Erickson plans to call the business Cowboy Jack's, which he said is a franchise he is buying into that has about 15 locations.

listen live watch live

According to the Cowboy Jack's website, there are locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Virginia.

Erickson had eyed the possibility of opening Cowboy Jack's in a space at 64 4th St. N. in Fargo, but he said he has placed his focus on the 506 Broadway location after his move to secure an existing Class Z liquor license for the 64 4th Street location hit a roadblock.

The roadblock occurred when the Fargo City Commission drew a business name out of a hat and granted the liquor license to a business other than Erickson's.

The city has talked about possibly issuing a new Class Z license for Erickson, but Erickson said for now he is concentrating on the 506 Broadway building and using a Class A liquor license he is obtaining from the now-closed Ground Round to establish a Cowboy Jack's saloon.

Other businesses Erickson owns and operates include the Bulldog Tap and Hennessy's Irish Pub, both in Fargo, the Red Hen Taphouse in Dilworth and Dave's Southside Tap in Moorhead.

Erickson said his plans for one or more new bars will become more concrete after a March 21 meeting of Fargo's Liquor Control Board at which the subject of establishing another Class Z liquor license may be discussed.

Bree Duval, business manager at McNeal & Friends, said the store's new location will have about triple the space of the downtown location and it will offer a large studio space where designers can show off things like wallpaper and paints.

She said the store will also expand its hours to include Saturday.

Following the move, hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

The stores phone number will remain the same at (701) 235-0031.