by Timothy Rutt
Chris Larson and his Rancho Bar cover a lot of history.
Larson comes from a long-time area family. His grandfather, William Wiper, immigrated from Scotland, riding on a steam train across the country. He and his brother started a local sign company, Wiper SIgn and Neon, whose best-known work is the sign on the Rose Bowl. Larson's grandfather, William Wiper, was a long time member of the Tournament of Roses and designed, installed, and maintained the world-famous sign.
Pictured: Rancho owner Chris Larson next to a display of Mt. Lowe railway memorabilia at the bar.
His father's side of the family, on the other hand, was already established in the area. Larson's grandparents operated Larson Shoes on Lake and Washington.
The Rancho Bar building started out as a real estate office, and then became a beer and wine bar in 1953, Larson said. He father, Ron Larson, purchased the bar in 1983, got a full liquor license and had a kitchen in the back that served food for a time.
"He was good at what he did, he was a real personable guy," Larson said. "He kind of made the place what it is and did a helluva job on it, for as small as it is."
Ron Larson was also a collector of Mt. Lowe railway memorabilia. On display at the bar are some of the artifacts of the dismantled railway that he picked up during hikes, including a selection of spikes that is embedded in a window table at the Rancho.
Larson's parents had divorced around that time the elder larson bought the bar. Chris had attended Altadena Elementary School, Eliot MIddle School, and spent two years at Muir before graduating from Monrovia High School, and moving out of town.
Larson went college in Oregon and lived there for ten years. He then moved to Boulder, Colorado, to be close to one of his brothers who sold airplanes there, and worked to get his pilot's license. He was running a taxicab and shuttle company that operated between Boulder and the Denver airport when Ron Larson died in 2005, leaving the bar to his three sons.
But the bar wasn't operating as well as it should under the bar's manager, so Larson moved back to Altadena after 20 years to take charge of it in 2008, "having no experience in the bar business," he admits. "I had to try to whip things back into shape, and I've been here ever since." It's still co-owned by the three brothers -- besides Larson and his brother in Colorado, another brother lives in California.
"It's kind of funny in the bar business," Larson said. "They think it's just fun, and I like being my own boss ... but the bar business has its own challenges."
Larson has kept the neighborhood bar feel, with wood paneling, lots of neon signage, a big TV, and a cozy bar area. The Rancho Bar has a full bar, including what Larson says is "some real nice single malt scotches," and a wine list that includes carbernet, zinfandel, pinot noir, and chardonnay.
"We have people who work in the movie industry who come here -- everyone is kind of equal, that's one of the special things about the place. We get some techie people in here, sometimes they'll go into a corner and make some kind of business deal.
"What's great about it is that you get people from all walks of life who walk in here, and they sit next to each other. They might come in to watch a football game or a baseball game or something that usually turns into a conversation with the one who sits next to you ... it's a mellow place to come, have a drink or two, and talk with people in the community."
Located at 2485 N. Lake Ave., the Rancho Bar is open every day.
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