Boulder City residents, Becky and James Hughes (James is a Nevada native!), have begun the task of renovating and restoring the former florist shop at 502 Nevada Way into a delicatessen and upscale sports bar located on the busy corner. We caught up with them recently to talk construction and learn more about their plans for the space. First, let’s get this out of the way: they plan for a soft landing (opening) in April 2024. To be honest, that’s only a few short months until we get to see the reno and taste the menu so be patient, everyone!
Becky brings a wealth of experience to the project. She’s worked in food service in multiple capacities from working at a deli, a bakery, and also as a food server. She has additional experience in high end retail and the finance sector. James is a retired Air Force veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also has food service experience. His first job as a teenager was as a dishwasher in a local restaurant kitchen. He worked up to managing the pizza kitchen of the business before embarking on his military career. Managing deployments as crew chief for a helicopter search and rescue squadron, he also spent time coordinating special events for his colleagues, where he honed his skills cooking for a lot of hungry men and women!
Together, throughout his deployments all over the globe, the pair have also made it a point to visit some of the world’s best known countries for food and hospitality, like Mexico, southern France, Monaco, the Caribbean, and yes, Las Vegas. One thing they’ve learned in their travels is that the best experiences not only involve amazing food, but excellent service as well. These lessons they will bring to their new venture at Hangar 502 Rescue Bar and Grill. They describe their future employees as their team and they’ve already developed the core tenets of the business: Team, Service, Experience.
One thing that patrons can look forward to is a good time at the Air Forced-themed restaurant and deli. They plan to curate the deli offerings themselves, bringing only the best offerings to Boulder City residents. The deli will be offering artisan soups, salads, and sandwiches. On the restaurant side, they are already working with their chef to come up with some memorable meals tailored to what’s in season. Yes, the menu will rotate seasonal, limited edition specialties in addition to their core menu components, so there will always be something fun and new on the menu to try. Finding fresh and local ingredients will be a priority for them.
As a sports bar, they plan to support all the local teams: Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Aces, and James’s personal favorite, the Las Vegas Raiders. We know that’s bound to make a lot of locals very happy. They also want to give back to local teams here like the Boulder City Eagles, Garrett Bobcats, and other youth sports organizations.
In addition to these local goodwill efforts, the Hughes family also supports the following organizations and will be organizing fundraisers for them throughout the year:
Both of these organizations hold a special place in James and Becky’s hearts as a military family. Be on the lookout for special events to help raise awareness and money for these foundations that give back to so many in our community.
Expect to see some special offerings like “Deli After Dark” and other galas and parties taking place. Becky and James have some fantastic ideas for their restaurant and we are looking forward to trying the muffeletta (Italian sandwich originating from immigrants to New Orleans) and the Sonoran hot dogs (originally native to Hermosillo, Sonora and VERY popular in southern Arizona). Thankfully, James and Becky are total foodies and frequent all kinds of restaurants from taco shacks to sushi spots, Italian fine dining to local cafes, so we can expect to see their experiences reflected in the foods they offer. There will be flights of meats and cheeses, with accompanying cocktails and beer. They plan to provide top of the line service as well, because they understand how important this is to the overall guest experience.
Some of the restoration to the exterior of the building can be seen below. They will be extending the downtown district’s familiar historic, arcaded covered walkway by rebuilding the arched portico that previously existed on the building. On the other side of the building will be a deck-like structure, ideal for sipping a cold beverage and people watching. Some of you may have seen this exterior rendering displayed during November’s Wine Walk downtown, where they were handing out wine and receiving feedback and good wishes from the event participants. We have an brand new look inside!
You can keep up with what’s happening at the Hangar by following them on social media. They have an Instagram page HERE and a Facebook page HERE. They are working on their website so check back here as more information becomes available. We’ll make sure to stop by again before they open and give readers and update at that time. We are seriously counting the days until they open and wish them all the success!
