Outlasting the Neon: 38 years and going strong

Outlasting the Neon: 38 years and going strong

DICKINSON, N.D. — The name wasn’t picked in a branding meeting. It was already bolted to the building. When Bernie and Paulette Marsh bought a downtown bar in 1987, big neon letters on the awning announced Esquire Club. New signage wasn’t in the budget. “We couldn’t afford a new sign, so we just left the signs, left the name,” Bernie said. That practical choice turned into its identity. Over the years, as regulars filtered in after shifts and s…