San Bernardino’s Red Fox bar reopens four years after a devastating electrical fire nearly destroyed it

May 25--Richard Davis' investment went up in flames.

Shortly after purchasing the Red Fox in northern San Bernardino, faulty electrical wiring sparked an early-morning fire inside the brick building, turning the North E Street bar into a 3,200-square-foot pizza oven. Televisions and neon lights opposite the entrance melted to the floor, smoke infiltrated drywall.

Davis' new air conditioning unit and bartop were charred. Only the exterior walls could be salvaged.

The 1950s watering hole Davis patronized while at Cal State San Bernardino was put out of business in 2014.

"It was kind of nightmarish," he said.

During a four-year rehab, Davis said people broke into the building and left messes. A fire started by homeless people trying to keep warm outside burned down the patio, he added.

Nearly $400,000 later, the Red Fox reopened in April after being fully refurbished.

"We focused on keeping the same feel in the building," Davis said. "One of the fun things we've done with the decor is we've brought some of San Bernardino's history into the bar through photos and other memorabilia.

"We've had a pretty steady flow of locals come in," he added. "We've gotten a lot of praise for bringing back this particular establishment because people have histories with it."

On a recent tour of the rehabbed Red Fox, Davis pointed to several black-and-white photos on canvas.

In one, the late Tony Trozera, a former owner, stands in front of The Mug, once one of the city's oldest restaurants. In another, horse-drawn buggies whisk residents through downtown. Courtesy of the San Bernardino Historical Society, the pictures give patrons a glimpse of the city's past.

And there's plenty of wall space left for more.

"We're encouraging anyone who has frequented the bar over the years to help us hang photos on the wall," Davis said.

Before entering the bar industry, Davis was a Coyote who sang karaoke on Thursday nights at the Red Fox.

Dennis Craig owned the bar from 1996 to 2004. He called the watering hole a "hysterical monument, because when we first moved to San Bernardino in 1975, the Red Fox was one of the places you wanted to be seen.

"All the up-and-comers, the entrepreneurs, they all hung out there."

When the bar went up for sale in 2014, "I was super excited to be a part of its history," Davis said. Since reopening, he added, "I've seen people from ages 23 to 25 up to people who tell me stories of when they used to come in 30 years ago."

The Red Fox "was not just a bar. It was a destination place," recalled Judi Penman, the San Bernardino Area Chamber of Commerce president. "A positive place that wasn't rambunctious. People were happy. A lot of the same faces. You got to know people. The ambiance was light and happy and spirited.

"It was a happy, fun place to be in."

Of all the additions, Davis takes most pride in the kitchen.

A menu of fresh, made-to-order, American traditional food has been crafted by a chef and two cooks with culinary experience.

Included in the bar's new well are two draft beers from local breweries -- Hanger 24, of Redlands, and No Clue Brew, of Rancho Cucamonga. (No Clue Brew founders Matt Irmscher and Morgan Riccio, of San Bernardino, brewed a special red beer for their local watering hole.)

Eight televisions offer high-definition viewing and an Internet Jukebox can go weeks without playing the same song twice.

With two red-felted pool tables, Davis hopes to host a pool league. Also, karaoke and live entertainment.

"We're trying to cultivate an environment that is home away from home, or a second home," he said. "Come in and feel comfortable having a beverage and some food and connect with new and old friends."

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