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Atomic Liquors is a bar in
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
. Opened in 1952, it became the first business in Las Vegas to be given a tavern license to sell liquor and operate an onsite bar.


History

Stella and Joe Sobchick opened Virginia's Café in 1945 on
Fremont Street Fremont Street is a street in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada that is the second most famous street in the Las Vegas Valley – and Nevada – besides the Las Vegas Strip. Named in honor of explorer and politician John C. Frémont and located in the ...
in Las Vegas. In 1952, the Sobchicks closed the restaurant and reopened the building as Atomic Liquors. They were given the first tavern license in Las Vegas, meaning they could operate a bar and also sell liquor to go. They opened the bar and liquor store due to increased demand for liquor as a result of the growth of the
Nevada Test Site The Nevada National Security Site (N2S2 or NNSS), known as the Nevada Test Site (NTS) until 2010, is a United States Department of Energy (DOE) reservation located in southeastern Nye County, Nevada, about 65 miles (105 km) northwest of th ...
. The bar was open 24 hours a day. Eventually, they expanded the bar to have a rooftop seating area, where customers could watch the atomic testing 65 miles away while drinking. The Sobchicks operated the bar until they died in 2010. Their son, Ron Sobchick, operated the bar. In 2011, the bar closed. In 2012, it was purchased by brothers Kent Johns, a commercial real estate broker, and Lance Johns, an attorney, and Derek Stoneberger. Famous people who have visited the bar include
Bugsy Siegel Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (February 28, 1906 – June 20, 1947) was an American mobster who was a driving force behind the development of the Las Vegas Strip. Siegel was not only influential within the Jewish Mob, but along with his childhood frie ...
,
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,
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,
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,
Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...
,
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,
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Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...
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, and
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...
. A bar stool with a star on it sits at the end of the inside bar, the preferred seat of Barbra Streisand when she visited regularly. Atomic Liquors has appeared in ''
The Hangover ''The Hangover'' is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips, co-produced with Daniel Goldberg, and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. It is the first installment in ''The Hangover'' trilogy. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed ...
'', ''
Casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
'', and ''
The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, su ...
''.
Anthony Bourdain Anthony Michael Bourdain (; June 25, 1956 – June 8, 2018) was an American celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian who starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine, and the human condition. Bourdai ...
filmed a segment of his show '' Parts Unknown'' at the bar in 2013.


References


External links

*{{official, http://atomic.vegas/
Atomic Liquors in Las Vegas
from the
National Trust for Historic Preservation The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 by ...
Buildings and structures in Las Vegas Commercial buildings completed in 1945 1945 establishments in Nevada 1952 establishments in Nevada Bars (establishments)