Lance Saling, owner of the Vault Tavern and Restaurant, discusses closing down his Pilot Rock restaurant and bar Aug. 28, 2024, and looking forward to new business ventures.

PILOT ROCK — After four years in business, the Vault Tavern and Restaurant in Pilot Rock is closing its doors.

Owner Lance Saling announced Aug. 20 on the tavern’s Facebook page he decided to shut down the family restaurant and bar at 194 W. Main St. in the heart of downtown Pilot Rock.

“There’s a lot of people that are sad about it,” Saling said. “We had a lot of locals that came in here frequently for lunch and dinner. We had a pretty rough reaction when I announced that we were closing.”

Saling, of Pilot Rock, said trying to balance work and home life became a struggle. He just had his fourth child, he said, and wants to devote more time to his children and pursuing other business ventures.

In addition to running the bar, he also works at the sawmill for Wood Grain Lumber.

The Vault opened its door in September 2020, roughly four months after former Oregon Gov. Kate Brown gave permission to reopen bars, restaurants and personal service businesses during the pandemic.

Saling said he owned the restaurant three years prior to its opening. At the time he was working at Keystone RV in Pendleton and when he got off of work he dedicated his personal time to renovating the interior.

“Whole place was gutted when I first got in here,” Saling said. “Everything you see, all the way from the flooring to the walls, everything is all the stuff that I’ve put in here.”

The neighborhood restaurant had a full bar that offered beer, spirits and wine. It served lunch and dinner and had a pool table, arcade games, cornhole and an outside beer garden with a fire pit.

“I’m hoping the business isn’t going to die,” Saling said. “So I just kind of want to pass it on to somebody that has more time. Hopefully just continue what it already is. It’s pretty much already set up for what it is.”

Saling’s asking price for the Vault Tavern and Restaurant is $190,000.