The Bank 1884
The Bank 1884
Food and Spirits
 
 
 

Originally the Winsor Snover Bank when the building first opened its doors in 1884, the two-story red brick establishment has also housed the Port Austin State Bank, the Port Austin Township Library, a bicycle repair shop, and a dentist office, among other things, before welcoming hungry diners as a restaurant in 1984. Erica Bruce purchased the business in 2017, the fourth restaurateur to own the establishment.

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The current owners are continuing the long tradition at The Bank 1884 of providing guests with such popular entrees as Austrian Prime Rib and Chicken Wellington, and providing excellent service by the well-trained waitstaff. Additionally, vegetarian entrees and eclectic specials have been added to augment the menu.

The Bank 1884 is a member of the Michigan Restaurant Association and the Greater Port Austin Area Chamber of Commerce.

From perfecting our ambiance to serving you with a smile, and everything in between– what we do here is truly a labor of love for you, Port Austin.

 
 
 

It all started when…

In 1884 Richard Winsor and Horace Snover built a sturdy, fireproof bank to serve Port Austin's burgeoning agricultural community. The two-story red brick building was the center of Winsor and Snovers leading banking, real estate, and insurance business for an entire ten years. In 1894, former Michigan governor Albert E. Sleeper purchased the building and housed in it the new Port Austin State Bank.

In the years following, the building also housed the Port Austin Township Library, a dentist office, and a bicycle repair shop. 73 years later, in 1957, the Port Austin State Bank moved to its new location a block east of the Winsor Snover Bank Building, leaving it abandoned for the succeeding 25 years. In 1982, Tony & Marilyn Berry rescued the building from it's abandonment by taking on the challenge of restoring and converting the old bank into a restaurant. The Bank 1884 Food & Spirits opened its doors on July 18th, 1984, one hundred years after Winsor and Snover first opened their doors to the same building.