When Patrick and Michelle Mannos walked into Big Willie’s for the first time, they just knew it was right for them.
“We just looked at each other and were like, this is it,” Michelle recalls of that moment. For Patrick, who has spent more than two decades in the bar industry, owning a bar was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
From Dream to Reality
That dream became reality Thanksgiving weekend of 2023, when the couple officially took over ownership of both Big Willie’s, a sports bar and pool hall, and its sister property, Willie’s Lounge, the neighborhood dive bar.
“Bars are where people gather,” Michelle reflects. “They’re where you celebrate, where you mourn, where you just connect. To be a part of people’s lives like that—it’s really special.”
It was a leap of faith, fueled by Patrick’s industry experience and Michelle’s background as a mortgage loan officer. “We really complement each other,” Michelle says. “He’s the expert on how everything runs on the floor, and I handle logistics, numbers, and HR. But we both know what’s happening in every part of the business, and we respect each other. Honestly, I never thought we’d work this well together as a married couple, but it’s been amazing.”
One of the couple’s proudest achievements has been maintaining continuity for employees and regulars alike and respecting the bars’ legacies. Nearly every employee stayed through the ownership transition—some with nearly a decade of service. Today, they employ 32 employees across both bars.
“Our employees are the face of everything,” Michelle says. “We respect them, we listen to their ideas. It’s why people say the atmosphere here feels different—because we really are a team.”
That welcoming attitude extends to customers, too. “At Willie’s Lounge especially, it’s the great equalizer,” Michelle says. “You’ll see lawyers and politicians next to someone who just lost their job, and they’re all talking, all in it together. It doesn’t matter your background—if you’re having a bad day, everyone’s just here to figure it out together.”
Two Bars, Two Personalities
Though connected by name, Big Willie’s and Willie’s Lounge have distinct personalities.
Big Willie’s is a sprawling sports bar and pool hall, featuring seven Diamond pool tables and one snooker table. “All the top players in Utah come here,” Michelle says proudly. “That pool room is always busy, people traveling from out of town even stop in to play before heading to Vegas.”
The sports side of Big Willie’s is popular, too. “We’ve packed the dining room with TVs, so it’s always busy for football, basketball, and fight nights,” Patrick adds. They’ve refreshed the interior with memorabilia installations, vintage game ticket wallpaper, and reclaimed basketball flooring as wall décor. The VIP room has been revamped to create a “different vibe,” Michelle explains, one where groups of friends can hang out even if not everyone is into sports.
“At first, we thought, a sports bar hosting Love Island? But people loved it. They were yelling at the screens like it was the Super Bowl,” Michelle says. “It just showed us—you have to listen to what people want, stay current, and create spaces for everyone.”
Those changes have paid off, says Patrick. “We’ve been growing year over year—about 16% annually.”
Willie’s Lounge, on the other hand, remains true to its roots as the neighborhood dive bar. “It’s one of the oldest bars in Salt Lake,” Michelle says. “When we first walked into Willie’s Lounge, it immediately felt lived in and welcoming. The kind of place where the regulars clearly loved it, and you could feel that sense of community. It wasn’t just a bar, it felt like the family you get to choose.” We didn’t want to change that—we just wanted to enhance it.”
So they’ve added a weekly events lineup that features Monday bingo, Tuesday trivia, Wednesday vinyl-only DJs, and karaoke Thursday through Saturday. Bingo has become the breakout hit. “It’s so packed you can’t find a chair,” Michelle says. “We do really fun prizes—Stanley cups, games, cool stuff our manager finds on bargain deals—not just bar swag. And the jackpot’s up to $2,000.”
Drinks, Food, and Local Love
When the couple took over, consistency was a priority. “Before, drinks were made differently depending on who was bartending,” Patrick says. “Now, citrus is fresh, we make all syrups in-house, and every recipe is standardized. It shocks people when they order a cocktail here. Nothing over $12, but everything made right.”
Michelle’s go-to is an amaretto sour, while Patrick leans toward whiskey cocktails. Together they created one of Big Willie’s signatures: The Velvet Crown, a play on a French 75 with gin, pomegranate puree, rosemary agave, and champagne. “It’s so good,” Michelle beams. “I walk around with this delicious purple drink in the little coupe glass, and everyone asks what it is.”
For first-time visitors, the food program is often the biggest surprise, with 90% of the menu made from scratch. Big Willie’s serves breakfast until 2 p.m. daily, alongside bar favorites like wings, nachos, and the Big Willie’s Burger—a house-made patty mixed with onions and bacon. Michelle’s favorite is the Blue Cheese Bacon Burger, “and the onion rings are hand-dipped.” Even the tomato soup is made fresh. “I thought it came in a bag,” Michelle admits with a laugh. “Nope. It’s all house-made. Best tomato soup I’ve ever had.”
Partnerships with Utah brands like Douglas Coffee, TF Brewing, Kessimakis Produce, and Beehive Gin are an important part of keeping things local at the bars. “We even co-advertise with Outlaw Distillery,” Patrick explains. “They mention us, we mention them. It’s about building community.”
They’ve co-sponsored radio promotions and work closely with community sports organizations, from the Beehive Sports Club to the Utah Gay Football League.
That mission even extends to art. With a grant from the Salt Lake City Community Reinvestment Agency as part of the Ballpark Neighborhood Mural Commission Program, they worked with local artist Isaac Hastings to create a massive mammoth mural on Big Willie’s exterior—a project that lit up social media and gave the Ballpark neighborhood new energy.
Balancing Bars and Family
Running two bars while raising four kids (ages 5 to 13) is no small feat. “At first I thought, ‘I can totally work my full-time job, run two businesses, and manage four kids’,” Michelle laughs at the memory. His parents live in a mother-in-law suite, so family remains the center of their lives even as the businesses demand late nights and long hours.
“The hardest part is that the kids can’t really see what we do,” Michelle admits. “But they know we’re building something important.”
Looking Ahead
As they enter their third year of ownership, the couple is looking ahead with big goals. They’re focused on purchasing the buildings, continuing to grow responsibly, and ensuring that both Willie’s Lounge and Big Willie’s thrive for decades to come.
Their vision is simple but powerful: to build name recognition and become the kind of staple in Salt Lake City where everyone has an amazing memory to share. Whether it’s your first pool game, a trivia win, a night out with friends, or a celebration that became unforgettable, they want Willie’s to be part of the stories people tell for a lifetime.
A new draft system at Willie’s Lounge has already upgraded the beer program, while Big Willie’s will continue adding layers of sports nostalgia and fan-driven programming.
“Willie’s Lounge is one of the oldest bars in the city, and it needs some renovation love,” Patrick says. “But it’s hard to justify investing in a building we don’t own. Long-term, we want to buy the properties so we can keep reinvesting back into them.”
For the Mannos family, owning Big Willie’s and Willie’s Lounge is about building spaces where people from every walk of life can gather, laugh, and feel at home and part of a larger community.
“For me, this is what I always wanted, but it’s definitely more work than I imagined,” Patrick admits. “To create a place where people can come together, that’s what bars have always been about. It’s definitely the life I love.”