Iconic Las Vegas saloon plans downtown pop-up

If you were wondering how Hogs & Heifers Saloon and Sand Dollar Downtown would ever co-exist across the street from each other on Main Street, they won’t.

The recently nomadic Hogs & Heifers is opening a pop-up bar in the space at the Plaza to be vacated by the Sand Dollar as it closes Dec. 14. H&H owner Michelle Dell confirmed Tuesday morning the sides have agreed in concept on a six-month, pop-up saloon. January is the tight-yet-optimistic opening timeline.

The shared strategy is for the club to take a short-term lease, as construction is underway at the new H&H site at 307 and 319 S. Main St. H&H’s’ management team hopes to reopen at that locale in summer.

But Dell stresses the paperwork is yet to be formally signed, and Plaza CEO Jonathan Jossel is not commenting until the documents are in place (but we can report he had a splendid trip to London this week). Hotel reps have consistently stated they have nothing to announce.

“The space would need some slight alteration to suit our purpose, and we would have a very tight timeline to turn it around,” Dell said Tuesday. “We are certainly hopeful and feel positive that it will move forward, and delighted that we have this unique opportunity.”

Sand Dollar reps confirmed the closing plans Monday. The bar and live-music venue opened in May 2022. Its shutdown has no impact on OG Sand Dollar Lounge on Spring Mountain and Polaris.

H&H closed its club on 3rd Street in July. The loud-and-leathery enclave had rumbled next to Triple George restaurant and across from Downtown Grand for 20 years. But the saloon sought a new location as its lease with property owner CIM Group expired.

In October, Dell and COO Michelle Sandler snapped up the parcel just a couple cartwheels from the Plaza. Cranes soon followed. The adjacent Victory Motel/Little Hotel rooming house building has been unceremoniously demolished, the work completed Tuesday. The teardown was reportedly as ruthless as an H&H bartender dismantling a suit-wearing patron.

Initially, Dell and Sandler outlined plans for a tented, Fort Hogs pop-up venue on the site. But Plaza, which is conveniently indoors, soon became an option to temporarily pair these two Las Vegas institutions.

“We love that we have this opportunity to work with the Plaza and feel that it will perhaps open the door for some great collaborative event opportunities down the road,” says Dell, who is working to return members of the club’s 45-person staff. “I feel very blessed to know I can get many of my previous team members back to work soon.”

The pop-up will be a scaled-down version of the old H&H on 3rd Street. Its primary entrance will face the casino, much of the infrastructure is already in place to handle saloon business.

It seems a natural fit. Dell even reached out to the Plaza “a few years ago” about a partnership, but says, “The timing was not right.”

Riding solo has proven the right call. Dell says that maintaining the saloon and brand’s independence is crucial as Hogs & Heifer’s roars into the future.

“In the long run, I have never felt that Hogs & Heifers would be able to be true to its roots and raw nature inside a hotel-casino,” says the club owner, and also owner of multiple Harleys. “It has always been a stand-alone business and is best as a stand-alone business.”

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.