Boerne's oldest bar is in danger of closing after the retirement of its long-time owner. Longbranch Saloon, which has served the Hill Country community for 50 years, is on the market as current owner Catherine Bentley prepares to retire.

In a Facebook statement posted on Longbranch's account, Bentley said she is leaving the bar business after 30 years of running the 817 N Main St watering hole. Although she has no doubt that the central property will find a new owner, she is hoping a local will continue her legacy.

"Small businesses in this town are quickly disappearing due in part to high real estate and tax costs," she wrote. "Would LOVE for the Longbranch to continue to be the traditional local watering hole and gathering place. Need to continue to have a hometown place for the community to gather, celebrate, and mourn together. Let's keep this local Boerne tradition alive. Boerne is only gone forever if we let it happen."

Longbranch is the type of beer-signs-and-taxidermy dive once common in the Hill Country. Although Bentley made a few improvements when she purchased the spot in the '90s, it still has wood paneling, a cash-only policy, and allows smoking indoors.

But, as Bentley alluded to, Boerne has become a very different place since she first acquired Longbranch's keys. The population has more than doubled since the 2010s, and new developments like the massive Boerne Town Center and a controversial Buc-ees are encroaching on the city's small-town feel.

Although the building sits on a valuable piece of real estate, the bar's followers were eager to keep the tradition alive. Many of the commenters seemed interested in keeping the beer flowing.

"I'm sad to see my second home and family closing," wrote one fan in the comments. "I wish I were a millionaire and could buy it and keep it going."