After nearly 16 years behind the bar at The Black Sheep, Paul and Kris Conger are preparing to close the downtown Alpena pub and retire. The last day at the English-style pub, located at 113 S. 2nd Ave., will be Sept. 30.
The Congers said they are not being forced out. They plan to lease the building to Tara Brilinski, the owner of Rosa’s Lookout Inn in Spruce. The Black Sheep business itself is not being sold, and the future establishment will have a different name.
“It’s a good thing for Paul and me,” Kris Conger said in a Facebook video announcing the change.
The pub will operate on limited hours until closing. Kris Conger said there will be a party on the final day, and the couple is encouraging longtime customers and newer visitors to stop in, talk and share memories before the doors close.
Why the Congers decided to retire
The couple said they had discussed stepping away periodically, but a demanding year made the decision final. A busy summer followed severe spring weather that brought an ice storm and flooding to the area.
Paul Conger said Kris had recently undergone knee surgery when the room where she was supposed to recover was destroyed. He spent nights hauling buckets of water and dealing with pumps and cleanup before continuing to open the pub each day.
“We have been talking about it off and on for a while. After a very busy summer we just can’t do it anymore,” Kris Conger said.
She said the couple wants to put family first as grandparents. Their plans include repairing a camper, spending time on their boat and making room for activities such as fishing with their 2-year-old grandson.
“Our lives have been put on hold because of the Black Sheep, and we don’t mean that in a bad way. We love the Black Sheep, and we know what we signed up for opening a bar,” Kris Conger said. “Our bodies are tired. Physically we are healthy, but we want to enjoy ourselves while we can.”
A changing downtown legacy
Although the name will disappear, the Congers said they are proud of the role The Black Sheep played in Alpena. Paul Conger said the pub helped bring live music back to the city, while Kris Conger said it was the first local venue to host a drag show.
The owners described regular customers as a kind of family. Over the years, the pub hosted celebrations and gatherings during times of mourning, and the couple said they valued the relationships built there.
“We really appreciate the customers, the friends and the people we have met along the way. In the past 16 years our family has grown, there has been celebrations, times of mourning, and we are proud of belonging to this community,” Kris Conger said.
Brilinski will be free to make changes after taking over the lease, Paul Conger said. The Congers plan to remain in the area, but their retirement goal is straightforward: “We just want a day off.”
Kris Conger said the transition represents a new chapter for downtown Alpena and urged residents to support changes to the city’s business community. “Come and hang out with us, we are going to close it out with a bang,” she said.
