Used car dealer sets up shop at former Lebanon bar

LEBANON - The bar at Salmon Falls Café closed recently, unable to sustain a profit margin sought by owner Rick Towle.

The small bar was a favorite among many who enjoyed its intimate atmosphere and cozy ambiance.

 “It was pretty busy on a Friday and Saturday night, but that’s not enough,” Towle said on Wednesday.

He will keep the service bar, however, so diners can still get a beer or a cocktail with their meal.

Most of the space devoted to the bar will now be used by Tracy Robertson, who will use it as an office for a used car lot, which will be located on the eastern side of the café.

Towle said once the bar closed, he contemplated launching an ice cream stand like the one at the former Minor’s Restaurant, but decided against it.

He said he looked around Lebanon and Rochester on a Google ice cream search and “saw a lot of ice cream” icons and decided it wasn’t for him.

“Plus what do I know about ice cream?” he quipped

The site is Robertson’s second used car venue. He has another lot on nearby Blaisdell Corner Road.