NEWBERRY — Following nearly a full year’s absence, a familiar face among the store fronts of downtown Newberry has returned in full force.
Pour Richard’s Tavern, a longtime staple of Newberrian nightlife, reopened its doors at a new location on Main Street this Thanksgiving.
“This beginning week’s been busy,” said proprietor Richard Waddington. “I guess there’s been nothing to do for the younger crowd to dance and carry on a little bit for four or five months.”
That interim refers to the time that elapsed since the closing of Bar III on Lindsay Street earlier this year. Pour Richard’s itself had been closed for business since Nov. 30, 2014, leaving few destinations for those venturing out after dark.
Waddington had operated at 1006 Main St. for the better part of a decade.
And although the crossroads presented him with the opportunity to try something else, Waddington said he never even considered transitioning to a new line of work. In short, he likes running a bar in town.
“As soon as (the landlord) gave us the time frame to get out, as we were closing up the bar, we instantly started looking around for other places to continue,” Waddington said. “We wanted to stay in Newberry. Newberry’s basically my second home.”
Originally from Philadelphia, Waddington explained how there are certain parallels between the City of Brotherly Love and the City of Friendly Folks.
“When I was up in Philadelphia you had neighborhoods, so you got to know everybody,” he said. “And then when you go to bigger areas you kind of lose that community feel.”
Waddington said he thrives off the strong sense of community present in Newberry and enjoys building relationships with neighboring businesses.
Having multiple family members who have operated bars, one could say Waddington was born for this line of work.
“I’ve been in the bar business since I was 12,” he said.
While not necessarily serving drinks at such a young age he did, among other things, learn how to properly mop a floor and rotate beers at his uncle’s bar.
Additionally his family is associated with a piece of pop-culture lore.
“My grandparents used to own the first 24-hour liquor bar in Miami. They used to hang out with the Rat Pack back when they used to play at the Fontainebleau Hotel and stuff like that,” Waddington said.
Carrying on that family tradition are his parents, Rich and Pat, who are technically the owners of Pour Richard’s.
“I say it’s their place, they say it’s my place because I run it. It’s a family business is basically what it is,” he said.
Pour Richard’s came to be while Waddington was managing a bar in Columbia. He said the intensive hours were taking their toll so he approached his father about starting something of their own.
“My dad’s always wanted to own a bar. My uncles have always had them up North but he never got into it because he’s worked all his life,” Waddington said. “My parents talked about it and said, ‘You know what? Let’s do it.’”
Their search for an available property in an ideal market eventually led them to Newberry and the original location of Pour Richard’s.
“That other place was great. It was a nice tavern. But I’m not going to lie, I didn’t think it would be that successful for eight years,” Waddington said.
Having now closed that chapter in the bar’s life, he said that actually owning the land on which they now sit brings with it a sense of security as he no longer has to rely on the renewal of a lease.
“We built this from the ground up, so we’re here. We’re not going anywhere,” Waddington said.
Having a larger space allows for a wider range of activities not possible at the former location. Still in its primitive stages, Waddington said he hopes to host an event in March called Pups and Pints that would benefit an animal charity, likely the Humane Society.
More immediately, he said that beginning the weekend of Dec. 12 he would like to start accepting food donations for the annual drive at St. Mark’s Parish.
“You bring in (a donation), you get your first drink free,” he said.
Waddington also said that he thinks the new location helps to balance out Newberry’s distribution of nightlife attractions. When he approached surrounding businesses regarding their disposition about his moving in, Waddington recalled them saying, “That’s great. We need something on this side (of Main St.) because everything is so top heavy on that one side with the Opera House. Nothing is drawing attention on this side.”
Christy Eigner, owner of the adjacent Illusions Hair Studio, said: “I’m very excited. (Waddington) does a lot with Newberry College students. As a modern salon we’re looking to network with Newberry College students as well.”
If Pour Richard’s business philosophy could be summed up in a single word, it would be “respect.”
“I just like everyone to come in and have a good time no matter their creed, color or whatever,” Waddington said. “Respect people in here, respect my place, and you’ll be treated with the same respect.”