Haunted Lafayette: Top Notch Bar serves up food and "spirits"

In the small town of Brookston, Top Notch Bar Food and Spirits is taking their name literally.

Takes us a short drive outside of tippecanoe county over to brookston.

That's where top notch bar food and spirits is taking their name...literally... "i definitely don't think bad juju and i don'think people don't not come in here because of what happened.

I think if anything, more people come in here intrigued and interested in what actually did take place here.

Top notch bar is located in the small but lively white county town of brookston.

Every day they're serving up food and drinks...but a few patrons may never actually leave the bar.

"at night, sometimes the girls can hear like him - somebody - coming down the steps.

Like 'ok, you guys are done.

It's my time now."

The bar was first a drygoods sstore back in 1902.

A few years later in 1914, it was changed into the myers hotel.

That's when tragedy first struck.

A young girl died of spanish flu in 1918 while staying there.

The little girl is a lesser known spirit.

There's another ghost, though, thats name is known around town.

"even the regulars do it.

You know.

Tv goes out 'bunks doing it' you know.

We've had now, new, things falling off the bar into the trough."

In 1965, the former myers hotel was now known as the top notch bar.

And in june, a gruesome murder occured.

"so we believe this was the bedroom actually where it took place.

When we bought the place there was atually still curtains hanging from when the man was actually murdered."

Lawrence "bunk" switzer would later be pronounced dead.

His former lover, charged with second- degree murder.

Although bunk's life was taken, he may have never moved on.

"it's the ice scoops.

One going missing one month, and you know a month later the same time -- same ice bin another ice scoop gone.

For the most part, the mood around the bar remains positive.

The's one moment, however, that syed says gives her chills.

"there was a girl working here she was getting ready to leave, close up.

No one else in the building.

Police showed up and say 'hey iu had called - must have been busy or whatever - we're coming to do a wellness check...we basically got a call we gps to this building saying suicidal threats of themselves because of the voices and the ghosts coming from upstairs.'

The man did say his name...the phone number - i believe - when we looked it up was a oregon phone number.

So police came in, checked over everything, checked upstairs, downstairs, you know obviously there was no one here."

But she also says she's never felt threatened.

In fact, they make sure to say "hello" to bunk before starting their shift each day.

"any time anyone comes upstairs it's always like 'hey bunk, i'm coming up!'

You know...just maybe that's why nothing's mwhen i geo makes sure employees know his presence as well.

One of his favorite ways...messing with the jukebox.

"it's the songs.

Like old songs.

You're like 'where did that come from?"

When news 18 visited the bar for this story, bunk may have even let us know he was there.

When we went back to the main bar area, the jukebox was turned off.

Something the owner says they keep on.

And when they turned it back on... "nats...i've never seen it turn on that quick...me either...it usually goes through like a 10-minute spiel...i just got chills...that's weird...weird..."

Yoder and syed say although the murder was a negative moment in the bar's history, bunk's story has become a town tale.

"i love telling new people, like 'oh this is a cool building' and i'm like 'ooh, do you know what happened here in the 60s?'

What?

And you tell them and they just get so excited.

They want to come up here."

So next time you go to brookston.

"he's just part of the bar."

Be sure to check out top notch bar and make sure you say "hello" to bunk.

I want to give a quick thank you to maliha and lesly for letting ryan and i shoot this story with them.

I can also speak from experience, we never once got a bad feeling while at the bar and had an enjoyable time there.

We'll have more halloween stories tomorrow.

Cody melin, news 18.