Bully's could open in March

A sports bar with 35 television sets and a 24-hour restaurant could be at North Carson Street and West College Parkway in time for "March Madness."

Paul Sonner, who with wife Jo owns three Bully's Sports Bar & Grills in Reno and Sparks, said Thursday the Carson operation will eventually include a sports book.

"People come to Bully's because we've got all the games. We've got 35 TVs and 10 satellite feeds. We show all the football games at the same time," Sonner said. "People like our service, our food, our employees."

He said the popularity of the format he developed for Bully's has allowed him to add a new one every two years. The first opened in 1994 in northwest Reno at Mae Anne Avenue near West McCarran Boulevard. The Bully's at Wedge Parkway off the Mount Rose Highway in Reno opened in 1996 and the third Bully's opened on North McCarran in Sparks in 1998.

"Within a year, I plan to have the Cal-Neva Sports Book open in the Carson Bully's. I have to apply for a different gaming license once I'm open down there," Sonner said. He said gaming regulations prevent sports books in the Washoe County operations.

The Carson sports bar will be about 6,500 square feet, he said. Besides the televisions tuned to all available sports, the business will feature bar slots, pool tables, video games and a patio. Food will be served throughout Bully's instead of having a designated dining area, he said.

Q&D Construction is building the basic shell and Building and Dwellings Co. of Reno will finish the interior.

"Buildings and Dwellings has done all our Bully's, and owner Tom Yantes is the best contractor I've ever worked with," Sonner said.

"Q&D is supposed to turn the shell over to us at the beginning of January and Tom will take about 60-75 days to complete it. If everything goes right, we'll be open for March Madness, the NCAA basketball finals."