One of the most recognizable signs in Kalispell is coming down outside Scotty's Bar.

The bar, restaurant and casino closed Tuesday after 38 years. New owner Bill Goldberg, a local entrepreneur, reopened the bar portion of the business on Friday.

According to Goldberg's spokesman, Mark Loncar, future plans for the watering hole have yet to be determined.

Loncar promised the building and the business aren't going anywhere, despite rumors that the bar would close its doors and the building would be razed.

Loncar said Goldberg wants to retain many of Scotty's former employees while taking the beloved business in a new direction. The exact details of that vision, including a new name, still need to be ironed out, Loncar said.

"Bill knew the importance Scotty's carried," Loncar said.

Goldberg is a Kalispell native who remembers going to Scotty's Bar when he was growing up.

He runs Compass Construction and recently purchased the historic Kalispell Mercantile building in downtown Kalispell. He's also part of a team that has proposed building a boutique hotel on a city-owned parking lot along Main Street.

Although Goldberg is committed to preserving Scotty's legacy, the ownership change is a big transition for the long-running bar. Scotty's had been family-owned and operated since Scott Levengood started the business on his 21st birthday: July 30, 1983.

Levengood died in August 2003. His wife, Karla Levengood-Swank, has been at the helm since his passing.

Levengood-Swank estimated the bar has sold more than 1.4 million burgers since opening. It also was the site of parties, dances, weddings, green bikini contests and many other events.

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at 406-758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.