Sam Martin and William F. Mosby were the first of many proprietors of the legendary saloon, eatery, and gambling house that has operated here since 1890. Although Martin and Mosby’s tenure was short, Butte’s love of nicknames endured and their initials remain on the M & M. For more than a century the M & M never rested, serving customers around the clock. The doors were always unlocked; each subsequent owner ceremoniously and publicly disposed of the keys. The M & M catered to miners coming off their shifts while the kitchen served bountiful breakfasts at any hour of the day or night. When Prohibition hit, the M & M followed other Butte bars, officially becoming a cigar store. Cigars sold in the front discreetly cloaked the speakeasy in the back room where the liquor continued to flow. The 1940s Art Deco ground-floor façade, the M & M’s spectacular neon sign, and the vintage 1890s upper level have been refurbished, restoring architectural vitality to a landmark that has provided food, drink, and diversion to generations of Butte residents.
Sadly, a fire destroyed the M & M building in May 2021.
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