Historic Goodyear bar forced to relocate after 105 years in same spot

GOODYEAR, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) - Maybe it’s the giant rooster out front, the 110-year-old pine tree in the kitchen, or the timeless pictures on every wall...everything about Roman’s Oasis is unique, and it keeps customers coming back.

“You can come in for years and not be able to see everything on the walls and all the history,” said patron Kevin Powell. Roman’s Oasis in Goodyear has been making memories for more than 100 years. What started as a community center for local farmers in 1917 has evolved into a popular bar, restaurant, dance hall, and hang-out spot.

Myra Curtis and her family are the current owners, with her dad having bought the place from another family in 1986. “Grandpas and great grandparents, parents and children, all had their first drink here,” said Curtis. “It’s kind of fun to have that history.” She said she has done her best to keep the magic of this place alive. Pictures of the race car drivers, who still stop by the watering hole from time to time, are a fan favorite.

It won’t be long before the pictures, and everything else is torn down. A recent expansion of the Loop 303 freeway is forcing the city to widen Yuma Road, causing them to have to demolish the historic bar. The good news for customers is that Curtis is building a new bar just behind the old one, and the plan is to take as many pieces of history and memorabilia with them. “Roman’s is a place for nostalgia,” said Curtis. “From old signage and old race memorabilia and pictures, we’re taking all the old tables and old chairs. Everything is going with us, because we want it all to feel the same.”

Construction on the new Roman’s Oasis is expected to start sometime this summer, and demolition of the old bar is set for next year.

Copyright 2023 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.