Vegas developer turns one-time saloon into craft-beer tavern — PHOTOS

In his first foray away from his restaurants on the Strip, Jonathan Fine has converted an old Roadrunner western-themed saloon in the west valley into an ultracasual craft beer tavern with 250 beers and space to watch sports and play games.

Fine, known for his Rockhouse Las Vegas dive-bar concept at Grand Canal Shoppes and the PBR Rock Professional Bull Riders-licensed bar at Miracle Mile Shops, bought the Roadrunner Saloon at 9820 W. Flamingo Road in 2014 and officially opened the 28,000-square-foot newly branded PKWY Tavern on Sunday.

In all, PKWY’s 250 beers include sudsy selections that are drawn from 120 taps linked to a spacious keg fridge, with the majority of beers coming from breweries in Colorado and points West, including locals such as Big Dog’s.

Plus, there’s an array of games from shuffleboard and corn hole on a 3,000-square-foot patio to darts and Bowlingo on small bowling lanes inside.

American comfort foods make up much of the menu.

Targeting the 25-to-40-year-old demographic, Fine said he wanted a craft beer setting that was much more casual than the corporate feel of a craft beer brand such as Yard House.

Fine’s move off the Strip is part of a trend of restaurateurs on the Strip opening new concepts in the suburbs such as Andy Masi debuting Hearthstone in Red Rock Resort this past year.

In contrast to Rockhouse, PBR Rock and Fine’s third Strip restaurant, Chayo Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar at The Linq, PKWY offers gaming.

The Roadrunner property purchase and subsequent renovation work cost “deep into seven figures.” Most of the expense was the purchase, Fine said. He’s financing the entire project internally and did not take out a loan.

When visiting other cities on business such as Phoenix, Atlanta and Nashville, Tenn., Fine said he liked big casual restaurant concepts with big outdoor patios.

That’s why the former country bar, which was home to local Denver Broncos fans watching their favorite NFL team, offered a footprint that was a good fit for the PKWY concept, Fine said.

In homage to his dad who is an ardent University of Nevada, Las Vegas supporter, Fine included the Mark L. Fine Red Room where fans can watch UNLV sports. Plus, more than 30 TV screens were added to the walls of the tap house.

PKWY is also featuring a beer club called T.E.A.M. for Taphouse Exclusive Active Member, which rewards its members with prizes with purchases of a certain number of beers. It starts at 50 beers for a $50 gift certificate and tops out at 1,000 for a “VIP Beer God” celebration, which includes giving a party to the beer drinker. Fine said 200 beer lovers signed up for the T.E.A.M. app Sunday.

PKWY servers also will be taking beer classes so they will be knowledgeable on craft beer selections.

Fine likes the PKWY concept so much that he plans on opening two or three more in the Las Vegas market this year and ultimately will aim for six to eight in the valley.

He also is looking at opening PKWY Taverns in Dallas, Denver, New York’s Times Square and Anaheim, Calif. — the same markets where he plans to open his PBR Rock concept.

Contact reporter Alan Snel at asnel@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5273. Find him on Twitter: @BicycleManSnel