Rico’s Smoke House has been a Pullman staple for more than a century. Located in downtown Pullman at 200 E Main St., they are open for lunch and dinner every day, and close late, staying open until 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. They have a bar, books, arcade games and pool tables, and have hosted events for customer entertainment. 

Rico’s opened in 1909 and is now housed in a building that has stood since 1927, Rico’s has gone through multiple owners since. Originally, it was Thorpe’s Smoke House, which was a men-only card hall for customers to smoke and drink. Throughout the change of ownership, the building started to deteriorate due to a lack of care put into it. 

Tawny Szumlas has been the owner of Rico’s since 2015. She started working there in 2000 as an undergrad at WSU. Her father bought the business in 1980 and worked on building it back up into what it is today.

A hurdle they faced in 2006 was the change in smoking laws, preventing smoking inside businesses. Szumlas said that led to some pushback, and forced Rico’s to rebrand. It has faced the test of time, but it seems the purpose of the business for Pullman has remained the same.

“We are just a place where you can hang out, talk [and/or] solve the world’s problems at your table,” Szumlas said. “You don’t have to buy food, you don’t have to buy drinks. You can really utilize our space as you want to. That’s what we provide for people. You can play pool, you can play darts, you can listen to music.”

Electra McCabe works as a server and bartender at Rico’s. She has been working there for a couple weeks, previously working at Rico’s about a decade ago as a WSU student, following in the footsteps of her mom and sister.

“I feel like it’s cozy, fun and a nice place to come eat,” McCabe said. “You can come have a drink or you can come dance. You could just chill and read a book.”

The demographic of the business is not just students, but also faculty. Todd Sabato is an undergraduate public health associate professor at WSU, and has been teaching there for two years. He said he has been going to events at Rico’s for a majority of his time in Pullman. He especially recommends the pesto turkey sandwich. 

“It’s a good mix of community members, students and faculty,” Sabato said. “When I came one night for trivia night, I knew that students from veterinary medicine were operating it. It’s a great way to support community just by being here.”

New assistant professor at WSU, Cole Allick, also teaches undergraduate public health, and joined around May of this year. He has only gone to Rico’s a couple times, but said the atmosphere is comfortable.

“I think a community is only as strong as the spaces people gather, whether that’s food or drink,” Allick said. “I grew up in a really small, rural community, and having spaces like this makes a difference, and it leaves a lasting memory on alumni too. It’s also nice to know that it’s not just an undergrad bar.”

Szumlas describes Rico’s as a “counterculture, funky vibe, jazz, Harry Potter bar” for whoever wants a place off campus to relax and hang out. This local business provides a place to escape life’s hardships with food, drinks and entertainment. 

“We have a really rock steady clientele,” Szumlas said. “Our customers are the best customers in Pullman, and they work really hard to keep us open. They kept us open [during the pandemic] and I’m forever grateful to all of them. We’re really just lucky.”

Rico’s has endured nearly a century of changes. From ownership changes to new cigarette laws, it remains a place where people can come together. Students, faculty and residents alike find a spot to drink, eat, play or relax in the heart of Pullman. It is more than a business, it is a gathering spot for the community to slow down and connect.