The Triangle Club Bar on Front Street has been a family-owned business since 1947 and Leeann Thomas, the owner for the last 25 years, said she is ready to move on.
“I want somebody new and with fresh ideas and life to come in here and keep it a very local community-orientated place,” she said. “And I think somebody at this point could do a better job than me.”
Thomas said the Triangle Club has a “lot of heart in it.” In the last 25 years, she’s enjoyed chatting with tourists off cruise ships. She said tourists enjoy getting to know locals at the “talking bar.”
Her grandfather, Joe Thomas Sr., bought the bar (known then as the Triangle Inn) in 1947. His grand opening was St. Patrick’s Day of that year.
Leeann Thomas, the owner of the Triangle Club for the last 25 years, points at a photo of her grandfather and previous owner, Joe Thomas Sr. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
He added a barber shop in the center of the bar that remained there through the 1960s. The barber shop was located where the bar’s entrance is today.
Joe Thomas Jr. owned it after him, renaming it the Triangle Club. He ran the Triangle Club for 37 years until Thomas bought it in 2000. She said it was a special opportunity to buy it from her father. Both Thomas Sr. and Thomas Jr. have since passed away.
Even the local customers are third generation — Thomas said they have shared stories of coming as kids to enjoy her grandfather’s chili dogs. The Triangle Club has used the same chili dog recipe since the 1940s.
“When I started people would tell me, ‘Oh, I remember being a kid in here, and my dad would always bring me to get a haircut and then after the haircut, of course, he had a drink and I had a hot dog,’” she said. “I’ve tried to keep the same type of hot dog machine running. So we’ve had the same air hot dog machine going. People would come in and say, ‘I remember being a kid in here. I remember your grandfather.’”
The bar is in the oldest part of Juneau. The site was seaward of the original shoreline and, like other structures of the 1800s, is built on pilings.
No gambling is permitted, but card games can be played. The Triangle Club hosts trivia every Thursday night. Thomas said cribbage is popular. She said there’s potential for pinochle to come back as a regular event under new ownership. The game used to be played every morning. Her great uncle Tommy Powers was a well-known local pinochle player who used to live above the bar.
Leeann Thomas’s great uncle Tommy Powers was a well-known local pinochle player who used to live above the Triangle Club. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Outside of her family’s deep-rooted history at the Triangle Club, Thomas added the bar provided a glimpse at the growth of Juneau’s tourism.
“When I was little it was just kind of a start of some of the tourism in Juneau,” she said. “There was like two Canadian cruise boats that came in the summer in the ‘70s and early ‘80s. And we would have parties for the crew of the cruise boats. And you know, it was really little compared to our tourism now.”
She said some people from the cruise ships visit the bar every year. Thomas said it is tourism that has allowed the bar to remain open year-round, with many locals enjoying it through the holidays and the legislative staff welcomed back every New Year.
The bar is on the first floor and a two-bed and one-bath apartment is upstairs. Thomas said the upstairs apartment could be converted into an Airbnb or a kitchen to be used as part of the business. She currently rents out the upstairs apartment.
The purchase price of $1,350,000 includes the two-story building, the Beverage Dispensary Liquor License, and all furniture, fixtures and equipment. Thomas is also willing to leave her historical photos from her family and the Alaska State Museum if the new owner desires.
Leeann Thomas, owner of the Triangle Club for the last 25 years, stands with a wall of historic photos from her family albums and the Alaska State Museum on Tuesday. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
If someone is interested, they can contact Ethan Billings with Re/Max of Juneau for more information.
Thomas added although it’s an old building, it has been taken care of well. She also offered ideas for the Triangle Club’s new life — suggesting a catering opportunity could be waiting along with special parties.
Meanwhile, Thomas said she is ready for “another phase in life,” and plans to retire and travel. She was born and raised in Juneau and said she will always have a footprint in her hometown.
“I’m excited to answer questions,” Thomas said. “I can help someone along the way and give them tips if they want my knowledge. I’m more than happy to get them started. I’m excited for another person to take over. I hope someone loves it as much as I do.”
• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz.garrett@juneauempire.com or (907) 723-9356.
The outside of the Triangle Club is seen on Front Street in downtown Juneau on Tuesday. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
A historic photo shows when the Triangle Club was known as the Winter and Pond Photo Studio in 1900. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
A plaque inside the Triangle Club shows the history of ownership. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
