Whiskey Tavern owner hopes to open in time for Laconia Motorcycle Week

LACONIA — A new waterfront bar and restaurant aims to be coming to the city just in time for Motorcycle Week. Last week, a fiery sign featuring cow skulls and the words "Whiskey Tavern" appeared on Union Avenue at the former site of a luxury automotive dealership and boat storage facility.

Whiskey Tavern is the lifelong dream of Paul Tokanel, who co-founded a similar restaurant in Windham in 2016 called Old School Bar and Grill.

"I've been coming to Meredith on the water for 45 years, so I've been coming up here my whole life, and I've been interested in opening something on the lake this whole time," Tokanel said as he stood at the construction site of his future restaurant. "This spot became available, so I just moved to Laconia, just built a new house up here."

Tokanel said he plans to sell his share of Old School Bar and Grill to his partner and establish himself in Laconia for the long haul.

The building was recently a storage space for a local marina and previously served as a luxury car dealership. Tokanel is repurposing the building's large garage doors, two of which open directly to the waterfront from the ground floor. The bar on that level will feature 20 beers on draft. Additionally, a pair of 40-foot docks will accommodate boaters.

“I like the setup, to tell you the truth,” Tokanel said. “It’s open, glass on the water. I like the open concept with the mezzanine up top.”

The spacious structure can accommodate about 150 seats, according to Tokanel, with potential expansion in the upstairs function rooms.

Tokanel estimates the establishment will need around 35 employees to start.

“I’m still not advertising" jobs, Tokanel said. “It’s all just word of mouth. I know a lot of people up here. I still want to advertise and put some signs up.”

Tokanel intends to incorporate a large garage door on the side of the building.

"We can have motorcycles on display and stuff like that," Tokanel said. "Maybe a hot rod or two."

Speaking of motorcycles, Tokanel said he hopes the restaurant will be open just in time for Motorcycle Week this year, depending on contractor schedules, with a potential soft opening in May.

In addition to two floors of stocked bars, the establishment will serve American and Italian cuisine.

“A lot of hand foods and stuff. You know, burgers, chicken sandwiches," Tokanel said. “Obviously, it’s still going to have seafood. We’ll have lobsters and steamer specials in the summer and oyster specials, prime rib. [We] still want to have some steaks and entrees.”

Before becoming a restaurateur, Tokanel spent three decades as a builder and designer. He said Whiskey Tavern is his favorite design project.

“I was just designing and building and going out to eat all the time, and I got interested in doing something on my own, or something where I’d like to go and be comfortable with,” Tokanel said. “I wanted to make something of my own from designing and building all the years and put all that into the whole effect.”