Back 
Time to update your Red Dog Saloon apparel? Just follow the fresh sawdust past the live band, under the glassy-eyed moose and into the saloon’s fresh-for-this-season retail store.
The Red Dog got its start in the early 1900s. After bouncing around from rented venue to venue it settled in 1988 in a building built for it.
“It’s been here the longest,” co-owner Eric Forst said, here being a building on South Franklin Street.
The retail space used to be home to the Cookhouse Restaurant in the 1990s. When the third floor was added in 2000, the owners at the time closed off the space and leased it for retail, Forst said.
Five years ago, Forst said, he and the bar’s eight other owners started to realize there is a lot of potential in the sale of Red Dog Saloon merchandise. And with the bar packed full in the summers, Forst said the owners wanted to add a bit more space.
They moved the stage to another spot in the bar to open up the space. Now customers can see the band through the swinging front doors.
“It’s also raised up there to give it more stage play,” Forst said.
Comments (4)
Add commentred dog
Nice to see a tourist shop that is owned and operated by locals.
GO RED DOG!!! Keep up the good work, great article.
Free advertisement
THis is not news worthy, it is just free advertisement for the Red Dog. Worst customer service in Juneau.
Red Dog Saloon
While publisher of the Alaskan Southeaster Magazine, I carried a story about the founding of the Red Dog Saloon written by its founder, Earl Forsythe. I hate to see history re-written because of sloppy reporting. The Red Dog did not get its start in the early 1900's as some would have you believe. In fact, it was in the early 1950's. Mr. Forsythe owned a small bar on South Franklin Street that was more of a hobby bar as he was really a building contractor. Also, the first location was not rented, but owned by Earl Forsythe. One half of the buidling housed the Red Dog Saloon and the other half was rented to Lester Funk who operated the Royal Blue Cafe.
Forsythe and two buddies decided one year to travel east to take in the world series. You'll have to research the story for the rest of the information. It is rather cute how it all came to be. A happy accident, in fact. Early wrote the story just before his death. Check out the library at UAS Egan Library for the issue of the magazine.
David Fremming
More history,
When Gordy and Virginia were forced to move from by the Artic bar over to near the Northlander, it broke Gordys heart. AND the place was never the same. One of the real shames was cutting the tables down that were back by where Hattie used to play the old “Tin Can Piano” I was fortunate enough to meet her. The city made them move because of the new highway that WAS going to displace the building, obviously that never happened! Anybody else remember the “Lady” with the fans that resided in the upper right as you faced the bar?