Ogden has seen everything pass through on the railroad, from Chicago gangsters to American presidents. Alleged, Ogden’s newest nightlife hotspot, hopes to remind the locals of that history, while making some history of its own.

Alleged officially opened its doors on May 4, and has already seen a business boom. Boasting numbers of more than 500 people in and out during one Saturday night, Alleged is only open for 18 hours a week Thursday through Saturday.

Brothers Jared and Mike Allen, co-owners of the bar, embodied the history of Ogden’s red-light district with the names of the bar’s specialty drinks. The building that currently houses the bar, as well as the adjacent building, the Helena, was a brothel during the prime of the railroad days.

The new bar includes 2,700 square feet on the lower level, with an additional 2,200 square feet of rooftop bar space. The rooftop bar is the first of its kind in Ogden, and features another bar in addition to the main one downstairs. Wall space has been dedicated as a gallery for local artists to show off their work for free.

“We didn’t want the walls to be covered in advertisements for alcohol,” Mike Allen said.

The brothers said they view Ogden City as worthy of their investment. The two started out buying and restoring old buildings in Ogden when the dream of opening a new bar became a reality.

“We were just kind of bummed out by our bar options . . .” Jared Allen said. “It seems like Ogden is sort of going through this renaissance. We’ve got all these awesome outdoor sports people moving here; we’ve got really just a lot of cool things happening.”

It was because of this renaissance, according to the Allen brothers, that the need for a bar like Alleged came about. After feeling reluctant about taking their clients to other local bars in the area, Jared Allen said they just decided to build their own.

“We’re trying to sell the city,” he said. “We’re trying to sell that the city is up and coming and there’s a good reason to invest here . . . but our current bars aren’t showing that side of Ogden.”

Alleged wants to keep it local; its Facebook page notes the popularity of locally made alcohol. The bar doesn’t offer brand-name beers like Bud Light, Coors Light or Miller Lite.

Jared Allen said he foresees Alleged becoming a great community bar, and that it will be running itself in the near future. He also said he thinks Alleged will act as a vehicle for change. All of the profits generated the bar generates will be reinvested in restoration projects of buildings and homes in downtown Ogden.

“It’s a city that fell on hard times that really shouldn’t have,” Jared Allen said. “It’s got so many incredible things to offer.”