Inside Cinch: Wilmington’s New Billiards Bar with Cocktails, History, and Hands-On Buildout

On the Whiskey and Wisdom Podcast, Chris Kellum and Tyler talk with Haley and Joe in a new location, Cinch in downtown Wilmington. Joe and Haley describe opening Cinch on December 5 after signing the lease in June and completing a roughly six-and-a-half-month buildout that transformed the former Christmas shops space, including extensive demolition and discovering historic features like 1960s dress boxes, a hidden salon in the basement, old deposit slips labeled “US Depository,” and brick walls. They discuss the concept as a high-end but casual hangout with four quality pool tables, a lounge and TVs, and a cocktail program featuring drinks like the Dirty Cinch, “We Should Start a Podcast,” and “Pony Up,” with seasonal additions. They share hours (4:30 daily; 12:30 weekends), free pool Monday–Tuesday 4:30–6 with two drinks, and closing times (12 weekdays, 1 weekends).

00:00 Welcome to Cinch

00:15 Meet Haley and Joe

01:10 Opening Date and Buildout

02:02 From Christmas Shop to Vision

03:05 Signature Cocktails Talk

04:50 From Rum Cow to Underfront

07:00 Why a Billiards Bar

09:03 What Cinch Means

11:30 Building History and Basement

13:05 Design Choices and DIY Build

16:24 Downtown History and Hidden Finds

19:05 Hours Specials and Popular Drinks

20:16 Custom Bar Art

20:56 Curated Cocktail Menu

22:32 Classic Cocktails Explained

24:20 Chain Restaurant Nostalgia

26:36 Why Food Quality Dropped

27:32 No Food and Ghost Kitchen

28:51 Selling vs Building Legacy

32:48 Building the Space

35:41 Pool Table Deep Dive

37:53 Wild Sports Tangent

40:38 Make Drinks and Wrap

Welcome back to the Whiskey and Wisdom Podcast.

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I'm your constant co-host, Chris Kellum.

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And I'm with my best boy, Tyler, y'all.

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And we are in a brand new location today.

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We are in Cinch.

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Billiards.

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Yep.

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See

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Joe: Cinch Barn billiard.

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Chris: Perfect.

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And we have two faces you might

remember from throwback seasons.

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Introduce yourself again.

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Hailey: I'm Haley.

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Chris: And I'm Joe.

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Tyler: Thanks for bringing us back on.

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Chris: Yeah.

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Tyler: Appreciate it.

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Chris: Letting us bring you on.

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POD00112: Yes.

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Chris: Right

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Tyler: man.

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Chris: We're bringing each

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Tyler: bring bringing us back in.

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Yes.

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Chris: Yes.

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Tyler: In a different location.

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Joe: Excited to have you guys.

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Chris: Thank

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Tyler: you.

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Chris: I love this space for you

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Joe: to have

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Chris: us

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Tyler: all the above.

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Chris: We're all confused.

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Fair enough.

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Used to bartend in under front.

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So you would've seen her

making drinks with Tyler.

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'Cause I'm a little too tall

to make 'em next to her.

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So that was a few years ago.

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Keep an eye out for

some more drink videos.

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And then Joe used to own a bar.

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A few bars.

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Joe: Yeah.

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Chris: And now owns a another one.

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Joe: Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Tyler: Sums that up.

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All right.

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The podcast.

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Chris: Awesome.

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Super basic.

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But you guys opened up Cinch.

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When did you open this showing up?

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Joe: Well, I I think our official

open date was December the fifth

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of last year, and I think that we

signed the lease in maybe June.

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This past June, it was about six and

a half month build out, give or take.

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So, yeah.

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And the location I don't know if

you guys remember it or not, but it

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was the Christmas shops, so totally

unidentifiable from what it is now.

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Like the, the front was all boxed out and

lots of like, little painted thing cut.

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So it was like Snoopy Christmas

figurines and stuff like that.

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Chris: I was walking around,

I'm like, this used to be shops.

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And he was like, no, it wasn't.

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I'm like, yeah, 'cause

there's another door here.

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And I just remember like

they used to do that.

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Like there's this one and there's

another one further down that

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just had random little shops.

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Joe: Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Mike's, yeah.

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Yes.

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Right.

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Chris: See, I got a good memory some days

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Joe: you do.

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Tyler: That's crazy.

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How'd you walk in here and

have the vision to turn it into

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this from a Christmas shop?

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Joe: Dude, so we've had the old videos.

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Me and Hailey came in here.

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So

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Chris: I walked in and I

looked at him and I was like,

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Tyler: how?

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Joe: It

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Chris: was like one of those like fix your

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Hailey: face.

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Like, oh my goodness.

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Joe: She's actually got a video

that she took of me just like.

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Hailey: Peeking through like the curtains.

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Joe: Yeah.

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Hailey: Can show you

guys a video at the end,

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Joe: but like in foundation, like

you walk into a place like this

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and it was, it was all boxed out.

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There was a huge retaining wall

that went to this first pillar

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that was totally enclosed.

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All this was enclosed from

this side portion here.

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There was no arch, there was no entrance.

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So really like the fundamentals of,

of anything when you're doing like a

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design is, is seeing the space open.

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Mm-hmm.

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Right.

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So that, that's what

you have to kind of do.

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You walk in, you see this really kind

of clunky, compartmentalized area.

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You're like, all right, let's,

let's rip down all these walls.

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And that's the first step, you know?

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And then just the sheer mass and

size of it and like the different

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architectural pieces that we like.

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You know, it took a while,

but we found the vision.

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Tyler: That's neat.

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Chris: So before we go too deep

one, you know me, I love drinks,

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staring at the cocktail menu.

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We did think about starting a podcast,

but not because of this drink which.

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We should start a podcast

is a drink on the menu.

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But what did you make for us, Haley?

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Hailey: That is the dirty Cinch.

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So it's like a spinoff of a dirty Shirley.

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We just use a way better

cherry syrup in it.

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Chris: So do you make the syrup?

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You just buy it?

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Hailey: It's a secret.

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Chris: Okay.

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Joe: Hey, it's amino cherry syrup.

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It's a brandy syrup.

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Oh, okay.

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Oh, okay.

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Chris: I

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Joe: was, it does taste really good.

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It's nice, yeah.

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It's nice refreshing too.

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Chris: This might be

my, my summer cocktail.

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It

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POD00112: is

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Joe: Good

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Chris: Summer cocktail.

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Yes.

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I love it.

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Because I'm a drink whore.

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I just like to know all about all

the things making your cocktail

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menu, which we'll tag and post.

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Everyone can check it out.

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What was your favorite

drink to come up with?

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Hailey: Probably the, we

should start a podcast.

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I started working on that one and

when I was over at under Front.

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Okay.

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And anybody that liked for it, I

was like, Hey, will you try this?

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And just like, let me know it was one

that like I really had to like work with.

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Chris: It's

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Tyler: a lot of like tweaks and,

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Hailey: oh yeah.

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Tyler: What is Fornet by the way?

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Joe: It's a herbaceous Lako.

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Yes.

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Tyler: Chris

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Joe: loves that word.

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So it, it falls into

the the bitter category.

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So it's it, Eastern Europe

does a huge variety.

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Like we, we get a couple

over here, like for net.

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And I guess you might be able

to throw like Yeager in there.

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Possibly.

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Hailey: It does taste kind like

Yeager, like a black licorice to me.

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Joe: But there's a, a huge

subsect of, or herbaceous liquor.

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I was in Croatia and

that's all they drink.

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Like there's hundreds and hundreds of 'em

and they're all with different liquor.

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You know, it's not, it's not my

favorite genre of liquorice, but

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yeah, very popular elsewhere.

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Tyler: Interesting.

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Joe: Yeah.

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Tyler: Very cool.

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So, to catch like some

of the listeners up.

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So we've mentioned under front a few

times, so if you haven't listened to

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that one, go back and listen to it.

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But kind of tell us the arc of coming from

under front, creating the vision for this.

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How like the ideation like came

about, how you guys started working

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together, like when this opened.

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Joe: Yeah, I mean, so there's

a lot, I mean like from like

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the history perspective.

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You know, I'm kind of like a,

just inching forward, you know.

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Me and Haley started

working together at Rum Cow.

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Tyler: Oh, okay.

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Joe: Whiskey Tanga was the first

one that I built and bought here.

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And then we opened Rum Cow and that

was kind of developing Gray Street.

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Right.

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And then taco Baby.

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And then we got under front and

it's always been kind of a push

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towards the center of town.

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So this is kind of a progression of that.

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She was my bar manager at rum Cow.

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And just.

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I really ran the show.

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Those were the days that I was

like back in the kitchen and

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was just being like a, you know,

crazy kitchen boy, he do whatever

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Hailey: you need to do

and just make it happen.

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Yeah,

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Joe: just go nuts.

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Run cow.

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Like popped off in a huge way.

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So it was just kind of like, I

leaned on her a lot and she, she

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kept it and she kept it running

and she was a stable force.

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And then when I sold Run Cow and got

under front, she's really the only one

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that I thought of, and she immediately

took over as the GM of under Front.

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Got to see kind of like, the full

development cycle of like a, a bar

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and the creation and you know, like

the logistical thing, which a lot

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of this stuff is just guided by, you

know, simple emotions, like Right.

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What's nice, like what feels good,

you know, but, but it's a big

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integral piece 'cause like, you

wanna be comfortable anywhere.

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And then, you know, we talked for years.

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I mean, we were at under front

together for three years and.

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You know, scheming.

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Yeah.

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Hailey: Wouldn't this be cool If we

could do this, this would be cool.

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Well,

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Joe: and like, she's, she's, she's

the one, you know, like that's kind

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of like the thing, like I'm, I'm

not old, but I'm getting older.

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It's like I can't just do everything.

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And like, I, I learned

a long, long time ago.

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It's like I, I've gotta build like

a structure and like, there's gotta

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be people that are promoted and

passionate and you kind of like marry

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those passions and recognize it and,

and bring 'em up and like, that's.

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That's kind of the purpose.

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That's that's the reason, right.

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So we talked about doing a project

for a long time and this one came

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and it sold under front and it

was just the right time, man.

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Tyler: That's awesome.

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So while you guys were both at under

front, was the billiards bar always kind

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of like the vision that kind of came up?

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Or was that something that came later

that you're like, Hey, you know what,

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Wilmington needs a high-end billiards bar.

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Hailey: I, what do you think?

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I don't really know.

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I think yes and no.

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Like we kind of were like,

we wanna do something.

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And then I was like, I want pool tables.

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'cause me and my friends like

to go out, we like to play pool.

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Right.

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And I kinda wanted to bring it

back to like, I've always worked

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in sports bars and like fast-paced

places and like we didn't have that

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at under front, so I was like, kind

wanna go back to that a little bit.

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Joe: Right.

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Yeah.

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And like, I mean, so, so you know, this is

kind of born out of it and we can kind of

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talk about like different elements later.

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We wanted something

that's just a good time.

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That's not like,

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Hailey: just fun.

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Joe: I don't want to use the word

pigeonholed, but like, I've done a

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lot of things that are very specific.

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Like I, I go down cocktail rabbit

holes, I go down, you know, Southern

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Asian food, rabbit holes, tacos,

you know, whatever it happens to be.

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Like, I, I hyper fixate and like, one of

the things that you kind of realize over

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the course of business, it's like, that's

great, but sometimes, you know, you really

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just want a place that's fun and that

you can hang out and you can bring your

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friends and family and there's no like.

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Big to-do.

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Like there's not like a,

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Hailey: you

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Joe: don't have to come because it's an

occasion like undercurrent of, right.

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Yeah, it

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Tyler: makes sense.

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Joe: Yeah.

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So we want something that was nice

that's still in the same demographic

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and the same, you know, curb appeal of,

of the other places, but really it's

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just kind of like an easy hangout spot.

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Tyler: Yeah.

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I like it.

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I think you accomplished that.

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It looks really good in here.

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Joe: Appreciate that.

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Chris: Yeah, it, we were walking past

and I'm like, I bet you this is the spot.

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It's right across from a tattoo shop.

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You know, there's a vape shop

across the street, but then

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there's also an event space.

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So like people while they're

waiting just come over and hang out.

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Mm-hmm.

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So I think this is a good,

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Joe: yeah, it's a good cross section

and like, we're in like the center of

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downtown, you know, there's a lot of

like subtle gentrification, I guess is

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the word that I'd use that's going on.

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They're upgrading a lot of these

buildings and and we're just excited to

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be part of, kind of a renewed downtown.

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Yeah.

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Tyler: That's neat.

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Chris: Yeah, I like it.

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So

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my brain wants to ask the

question, what is cinch?

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Joe: What is cinch?

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Chris: Yes.

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Because we were sitting

outside and I'm like, so

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Joe: this is an age basis word.

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Right.

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I don't know how old you guys are.

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Chris: Okay.

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Joe: How old are you?

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Chris: I'm 30.

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Wait, 37.

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Sorry.

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37.

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33.

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Joe: So you've heard this word

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Chris: I've,

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Joe: I've, in the nineties

before we all went around like.

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It's a ci.

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Chris: Okay.

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It's like that's easy.

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Joe: Got it.

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Okay.

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It just means guaranteed

success gonna be easy.

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Yes.

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Right.

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But it's also kind of

like a throwback word.

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And you know, that's another thing, like

you get kind of like stuck in the muck

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on so many things and like Haley's a

really good counterpart for this kind of

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operation because when you're making a

pool hall, you're like, oh, corner pocket.

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Or like, you know, eight ball

alley, or you know something.

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I'm like, no, all

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Hailey: corny.

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We can't do

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Joe: that.

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It's all been done.

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It's all just out there.

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And it's like.

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You, you rabbit hole.

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So hard.

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We probably got a hundred texts

of like random pull related days.

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Hailey: Three weeks of it.

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Joe: And it's like,

dude, I'm done with this.

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Like, this should be easy.

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Hailey: Yeah.

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Joe: It can just be a cinch,

we'll just call it cinch.

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And she's like, great.

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Let's do it.

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Perfect.

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That's awesome.

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Chris: So that was our argument outside.

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I was like, cinch doesn't to

me sound like, it doesn't sound

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like a pool or billiards term.

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Yeah.

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And he's like, yeah, maybe I'm like.

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Tyler: I was like, I could see

it possibly being in Billy room.

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I don't know.

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It's

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Hailey: not just a bayard's bar.

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Like we have a lounge, we have

our like people watching area.

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We got our TVs.

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Well, and

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Joe: that's the other thing.

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'cause like the name is kind of

like the intention and like, you

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know, we've got four pool tables.

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We definitely are a pool bar.

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Right.

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But we're not a pool home.

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Right.

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There's not 30 tables.

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I don't want it to be just

tournament pool players.

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You know, flipping nickles and chewing on

tooth, like counting games or whatever,

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like it's really just meant to like

come and hang out and have a good time.

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Yeah.

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You know, so like, I didn't want to

like overstate, we didn't want to

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overstate like the or put too much

emphasis on the pool side of things.

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Okay.

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Tyler: Yeah.

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And it's nice and open in here too.

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I do like the lounge area.

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That was the first spot I was like,

yeah, maybe we should set up in there.

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But yeah.

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Chris: And Chris said It's too red.

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Tyler: Yeah.

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And dark.

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Joe: Oh well they all changed.

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That's the beauty of

like modern construction.

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Yeah.

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We can like flip out.

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We've got 40 different colors

of lights with all this stuff.

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It's so much fun building nowadays 'cause

like everything has become modernized.

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Yes.

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We it red, we still in

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Chris: the background, but

yeah, that was the other option.

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Tyler: It was a selling

feature of the spot.

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Yes.

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Joe: The lounge was like the

first thing that we demoed.

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So like a little history on this place.

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Like, I don't know if you saw the

the sign and the sidewalk out front.

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Mm-hmm.

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The shops at Diana.

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Tyler: Yes.

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Joe: So in the forties through the

sixties, it was a women's clothing shop.

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Tyler: Oh, no way.

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Okay.

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Joe: Yeah.

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So they did like prom clothes and dresses.

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And so the lounge area, the reason

that there's cutouts there that are

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supported, those were dress boxes.

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Oh.

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From the sixties that were still there.

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Oh,

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Hailey: so even had like the

metal pole you could pull out

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and like hang your dresses on.

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Joe: Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Very ornate, very fancy.

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But a huge pain in the ass.

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Like the demo on this building was nuts.

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And we were in here and Hailey's

like, God, I'm frustrated.

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I was like, just kick the

shit outta this thing man.

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Just go back.

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So we're just sitting there like tearing

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Hailey: stuff, kicking them down.

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Joe: Yeah.

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Yeah.

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I mean it was a fun build, but

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Hailey: I news of that too.

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Both of us just kicking him over.

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Joe: Oh yeah.

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And it was huge.

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There was just so much like there

was so much wood in this place.

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Like we probably pulled out.

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That's why it took so long to build.

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We had like two months of demolition, man.

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Tyler: Wow.

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Wow.

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That's

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Joe: huge.

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Oh, another little East

Reg about this place.

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Underneath that side in the basement.

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They never demoed the hair salon

that was part of this business.

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Oh.

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So there's a 1960s salon in

the basement untouched by time.

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Really just sitting there.

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Art deco tiles, like little like, I don't

like the basement cubbies and stuff.

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The basement's kind of creepy.

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Tyler: Yeah.

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What's going on down there?

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Chris: Can you get to the basement?

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Oh yeah, for sure.

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Joe: It's not mine though.

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Oh.

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It's actually like people that rent it.

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But I had to go there to, you

know, do construction stuff.

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Yeah, right.

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You know, pool tables, old floor.

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We had to put.

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Support beings under, under

all the floors, you know?

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Chris: Oh, wow.

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Gosh.

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So I'm back to Chris.

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Random questions.

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Now

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Joe: bring it

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Chris: on.

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The styling, the decor.

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Who came up with that?

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'cause I'm loving it.

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Mm-hmm.

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Hailey: Kind of a mix of both of us.

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Okay.

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It was kind of just like, Hey,

I got this and I got this.

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And we just made it go.

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Joe: Yeah.

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Hailey: Made it happen.

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Joe: Total like indulgence, right?

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Yeah.

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Like it.

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Yeah.

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Like those are the left hip pull sticks.

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So like some of 'em wound up being like

little art projects and stuff like that.

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Right.

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She, she did the layout of like

the whole bar top and picked the

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the countertop and I just built

it, you know, and put it together.

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And then the wood back there,

which no one's ever gonna

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notice, which, which is fine.

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What's your favorite wood ever?

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So the wood that's holding the, the

cells themselves are black limbo.

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So black limbo is what they use to

make high-end guitars and violins.

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Just beautiful, beautiful figurine.

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So like I got during this build,

like I rabbit hole, I think

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I've mentioned them before.

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So like I'm hanging out at this wood

shop every day and like, look at all.

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And so I'm like, so did

Hailey all these pictures.

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I'm like, look at this.

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Like look at the figurine on this walnut.

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And she was like, oh great.

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And so I found the one I really liked out.

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Let's do it.

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And I was like, dude, it's

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But like.

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This is the coolest wood ever.

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And now it's just covered in bottles.

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But you know, you gotta build it, gotta

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Hailey: take care of it.

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We wipe it off,

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Chris: right?

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Joe: Yeah, yeah.

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Chris: It gets monthly maintenance.

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Joe: Yeah.

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But that, you know, and, and like that,

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that's the cool thing about like

a spot like this is like, we don't

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use construction crews, so I'm like,

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Chris: right.

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Joe: Me and Hailey, we

were in here building.

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You know that, that's a

huge character difference.

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Like, I mean, I have like a GC that's a

buddy of mine that comes and helps out

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on all the projects that we've done.

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Shout out Harmony Builders.

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But for the most part, you know, we

were just taking things step by step.

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So you look at the placement of something

and you're like, well, this has to fit.

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This has to fit, so

this has gotta go there.

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And then you just kind of

retrofit and make it happen.

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Hailey: I never wanna rip

carpet out of a place again.

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Chris: What?

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Hailey: It was two layers on this

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Joe: side.

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POD00112: It

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Joe: was totally gone.

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I was like, oh, do this.

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Hailey: Got it.

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Chris: It horrible.

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What happens if like you rip it up and

there's just amazing vintage floor.

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Hailey: There wasn't, there

was tile, there was it?

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Chris: So that's just point

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Hailey: something the tile

had to come up as well.

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Yeah,

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Joe: dude, we had a whole like

story This, this floor that

521

this is that we're on right now.

522

I mean, that's probably two and

a half months of construction.

523

It's all covered.

524

It's, it had to get sanded,

re-homed, and then covered with

525

sheet wood, and then reinforced

from the bottom and then carpeted.

526

So sheets in the back.

527

I had never seen

528

Hailey: so many staples in carpet.

529

Chris: Oh, really?

530

Joe: Oh yeah.

531

It was bad.

532

Chris: Say it was like a write off.

533

Like, Hey, we already

paid for these staples.

534

We don't need 'em for next time

to just use, just get rid of 'em.

535

Joe: We actually found a stairwell

underneath that pool table.

536

Chris: Really?

537

Joe: Yeah.

538

That's the fun part of construction, man.

539

Like you're just doing stuff like, great.

540

There's a spiral staircase

here for some reason.

541

Like, I can't use it.

542

You can't do, yeah, it

goes into the salon.

543

Chris: Oh, okay.

544

So that should be the next spot you buy.

545

Joe: Oh, dude, I want it.

546

Tyler: Yeah, so

547

Joe: that would a good time if I ever

get the opportunity, we're doing it,

548

dude, I'm opening that staircase.

549

Little easy downstairs.

550

Tyler: Yeah.

551

How so how do you get the,

this building but not own?

552

What's underneath it?

553

Or is it like rented

out by like the level?

554

Joe: Well, the only reason, I mean,

I would've taken all of it, but he's

555

got, he's got other tenants down there

and it's it's just a long term lease.

556

I think those folks have had it for 20

years or something along those lines.

557

They just use it as storage.

558

So, yeah.

559

Tyler: Oh wow.

560

Joe: Yeah, so these buildings, I

mean they're, I think that people

561

underestimate how old they are.

562

Like this is late 18 hundreds.

563

Like this has been just around forever.

564

I mean, it's

565

Chris: crazy.

566

Like most of the buildings downtown

are like, they've been here.

567

Mm-hmm.

568

They've gone through fires.

569

They've gone through

570

Joe: Oh yeah.

571

Chris: Reconstruction.

572

Like we looked across the street

above hardwire and I'm like, I forget

573

that there's four stories above it.

574

'cause I, everyone knows hardwire.

575

And I was like, oh no,

there's three condos above it.

576

Joe: Mm-hmm.

577

And there's a tunnel

under the road beneath it.

578

Right.

579

You know that or not?

580

Chris: I did hear about that.

581

Joe: Yeah.

582

They have one of the few open tunnels.

583

Chris: Really?

584

Joe: Yeah.

585

I think there's only like two

or three that are open still.

586

'cause they, they filled 'em.

587

Because

588

Chris: they filled 'em up.

589

Joe: Yeah.

590

Chris: That's wild.

591

Joe: Yeah.

592

Under front has the backside of a tunnel,

but it doesn't go into the street anymore.

593

Chris: Definitely

594

Tyler: doing all the construction.

595

Doing all the construction

on all these different bars.

596

Like you probably learned like all of

the history of Wilmington pretty much.

597

Oh

598

Joe: yeah.

599

It's like, and so much gets found

too, you know, that's the, and like

600

this is always like a hope, I think

that we hope the most here out of all

601

places because of its age and like

what it's gone through historically.

602

You know, like under

front was like a grainery.

603

Right.

604

So like maybe you're gonna find

something cool, but probably not.

605

Yeah.

606

This was like a clothing store and

an outlet and a bank at some point.

607

Like, it was like, maybe

we'll find, had bank stuff.

608

Yeah.

609

Oh, really?

610

When we were destroying one of those

cabinets, we pulled it outta the wall

611

and like a, a, a, looked like checks,

612

Hailey: like old, old checks.

613

Joe: They were so old

and I didn't know this.

614

Hailey: We were gonna frame 'em

615

Joe: upstairs.

616

I didn't know this until then.

617

But all deposit slips

were to the US depository.

618

It wasn't the name of the bank.

619

So I found these, we found these slips

and it said US depository, but in the

620

forties, it wasn't like Wells Fargo

or Bank of America, you would just

621

make deposits into the US depository.

622

Tyler: That's crazy.

623

Joe: Yeah.

624

Tyler: I

625

Joe: So I, I had no idea what they were.

626

I was like, oh, shit.

627

I have no clue.

628

Tyler: That's neat.

629

Chris: You definitely have to

find, like, put 'em up somewhere.

630

Yeah.

631

At least do like a, a stack of like three.

632

Joe: Oh, we found some old like

dress patterns or something too.

633

Tyler: Yeah, we did hear those.

634

Joe: I don't remember

635

Chris: what they were for, but what

you need, you wanted a fancy suit.

636

You just get a old school dress.

637

Dress Dude.

638

Joe: There was like 800 pound big

pound leather press back there too.

639

Like a leather punch thing.

640

POD00112: Guy

641

Joe: was

642

Chris: like,

643

Joe: I want it.

644

And I was like, dude.

645

Take it.

646

I have no use of the here.

647

Chris: Oh my gosh.

648

Joe: Yeah.

649

But I'm gonna watch like, you know,

one of those auction shows and

650

that thing's gonna come up and it's

what, eight grand or something?

651

I'm sure.

652

I was like, I

653

Chris: should have kept

654

Joe: it.

655

Chris: Should have, could have.

656

Would've.

657

Alright, so with the bar, what are your

typical hours and do you have any like

658

days of the week that you do anything

special or anything like that yet?

659

Hailey: Yeah.

660

We're open at four 30 every day.

661

Saturday, Sunday we open at 1230.

662

Chris: Okay.

663

Hailey: And then Monday, Tuesday,

free pool from four 30 to six.

664

Happy hour.

665

Happy hour,

666

Tyler: yeah.

667

Nice.

668

Hailey: With the order of two drinks.

669

Joe: Oh,

670

Tyler: okay.

671

So

672

Hailey: order two drinks you

free pool for a couple hours.

673

Tyler: Nice.

674

Joe: And then Sunday we

do some drink specials.

675

Yeah.

676

Yeah.

677

Tyler: Oh sweet.

678

Out of the, I know you mentioned the

We Should Start Podcast was a favorite

679

one they liked working on, or a few

other ones that are just like really

680

popular right now or that were either

difficult to make, just something,

681

something fun about the cocktail list.

682

Hailey: The Pony Up was

the one that I kept.

683

I wouldn't send him the menu

because there was a couple on there

684

that I was like, I don't know.

685

I don't know.

686

Like I'm, I don't know

if I'm proud of this.

687

He's like, send me the menu.

688

It's been like a month.

689

And like I had never

made the PON yet before.

690

It was just something

I was like, whatever.

691

I need a bourbon drink.

692

Like I'm gonna,

693

Tyler: right.

694

Hailey: Yeah.

695

But it's very popular.

696

Oh, wow.

697

And I was like, this is the one that I was

so scared I wouldn't send them the menu.

698

It ended up being okay.

699

The lie to me on the vodka side

700

Chris: Okay.

701

Hailey: Is really popular.

702

Chris: Is I see.

703

So is this gonna be like your set menu?

704

Are you gonna change

anything out from here?

705

It looks like you could technically

write on that board, but I

706

also can't tell if it's just.

707

Hailey: I think it'll

least rent, but I mean,

708

Joe: no, so it's, it's painted.

709

So we actually have a buddy

that's an artist and she kills it.

710

Her name is Brooke Row.

711

She does Brooke Row Designs.

712

Okay.

713

And she made our stuff frog

in the back and she painted

714

our leopard door back there.

715

She's, she's amazing.

716

She's about to, make us a eight

foot long black alligator.

717

They go under our frogs.

718

Yeah.

719

So all this is custom, you know,

it's just, she got out there and

720

painted it, it looks like that.

721

Chris: Oh yeah.

722

Joe: But from like a cocktail

perspective, we'll do seasonal stuff too.

723

Chris: Okay.

724

No, I'm always curious.

725

I love going into bars and because

we try everything when we go out.

726

I will end up trying everything on

the menu within like four weeks.

727

Here's my easier

728

Joe: Yeah.

729

Chris: Right.

730

15,

731

Hailey: 16 versus the 50

732

Joe: over there.

733

That's say, but that's intentional, right?

734

Like, there's a lot of like things

that you kind of like leave behind.

735

Like we didn't want to, we didn't

want to be a full out cocktail bar.

736

We want to be able to make

any cocktail you want.

737

We've got the best mixologist in

Wilmington sitting right here.

738

I love

739

Hailey: about that.

740

Joe: She's done it all, you know?

741

Mm-hmm.

742

The capabilities there.

743

All of our staff's fully trained.

744

Yeah, but I also saw how lost people

got sometimes and, and my big cocktail,

745

I knew that was 52 cocktails, you know?

746

Wow.

747

And then it becomes like, oh, we're

gonna try this one and this one, and

748

then we're gonna go and like, we're gonna

just have a Jack and Coke somewhere.

749

You know, it's, it's almost like

there's an intended purpose, right?

750

Whenever you're like kind of cocktail

baring it, you're going there for like

751

that experience and then maybe you're

gonna spend your night somewhere else.

752

We want to be kind of the middle

road in between them, that the

753

cocktail lovers can come in here.

754

They know that she can make a fure no

problem, and they can just get a drink

755

off of here and then have a couple

of beers and not feel out of place.

756

A couple of beers

757

Hailey: here.

758

You can literally get anything you want.

759

Joe: Anything?

760

Yeah.

761

Yeah.

762

That's awesome.

763

Chris: It's a food re

764

Joe: vre.

765

It's like classic All

liquor old school drink.

766

Hailey: Not my favorite.

767

Joe: No.

768

Chris: So is it as it's older,

I'm assuming than a Long Island?

769

Joe: Yes.

770

Chris: Okay.

771

Joe: Yeah, so I mean, there's,

there's like classic cocktails.

772

Classic cocktails are, are all

liquor based because there wasn't

773

like ready refrigeration in the time

period that they were Manhattan.

774

That that was, that was the logic.

775

Like I a Manhattan was made

at Manhattan Club, the 2 1 2.

776

Right.

777

So they're, they're either speakeasies, a

lot of 'em came about in that time period.

778

And so there's not lots of mixers at hand,

so you have to use something that's either

779

fortified liquor or wine or bitters or

you know, something along those lines.

780

So, so that whole genre of

classic cocktails typically

781

is not gonna contain juice.

782

Tyler: Interesting.

783

Makes sense.

784

Joe: Yeah.

785

Hailey: I prefer the ones with juice.

786

Joe: Yeah.

787

Hailey: I'm a little more new school.

788

Right.

789

Chris: No, I mean, I haven't

had a Long Island iced tea in

790

like a few years in college.

791

Well, no, it was a running joke.

792

So I was at the Starling and

I was like, can you guys even

793

make a Long Island iced tea?

794

Yeah, for sure.

795

And they're like, we

can, but we don't have,

796

Joe: we don't want to

797

Chris: any cheap, like

nothing here is cheap.

798

Sour makes,

799

Tyler: yeah, it's like,

and it'll cost $26.

800

Chris: Yeah.

801

And that was the joke.

802

So like, I got it from my birthday

a few years ago just to have it.

803

And they were, I was like, but you

can taste the difference when you

804

don't use plastic bottle liquor.

805

Joe: Oh yeah, for sure.

806

Like a top tea.

807

Chris: Yeah.

808

Joe: Yeah.

809

So, so my, my bartending experience

comes from a generation, I mean,

810

I, I served thousands of lits, I've

drank thousands of lits like that.

811

That's where I come from like that.

812

Yeah.

813

I, I do not turn my nose

up to that kind of stuff.

814

Chris: I mean,

815

Joe: that's what I, I come from

true volume bartending, you know, in

816

the early thousands where we just.

817

That's, that's all there really was.

818

Blue motorcycles were like a big

deal when they first came out.

819

Hailey: Those, those

are kind of a big deal.

820

I was

821

Chris: gonna say,

822

Joe: it seems like he

823

Hailey: was coming back still liked,

824

Joe: I remember being like 23

and going to TGA a Fridays.

825

'cause every Wednesday they had dollar 99

lits and telling them not to put any sour

826

bakes in it and just taking LAT shots.

827

Oh and TGI Fridays, man.

828

Yeah, that was a classic.

829

That's awesome.

830

Hailey: Do you think they

use Aristocrat in them?

831

Joe: Oh, they definitely use,

832

oh yeah.

833

It was dirty man.

834

It was dirty.

835

But I mean, yeah, it was a

good time and I loved it.

836

Chris: TGI Fridays, they

still pour heavy like we went.

837

Joe: They still exist, honestly.

838

Chris: Do they still around here?

839

So I went to

840

Joe: I would go, do they still do

like the Jack Daniel skillets dude?

841

'cause I'm all about,

842

Chris: we went to like, we went to the

Kendrick and says a concert last summer.

843

And there's a TGI Friday's like

844

Hailey: jealous of that.

845

Joe: It was

846

Hailey: so good.

847

Joe: So good.

848

Chris: But like

849

Joe: where else would you go

after a Kendrick contract?

850

Chris: Wait, because we were

like, we don't wanna sit

851

there and wait for too long.

852

And dude, they will turn

853

Joe: up into TGI Fridays for sure.

854

Chris: Oh yeah.

855

My friend showed up and then they were

like, we got there the night before and

856

it was just a club inside TGF Fridays.

857

Joe: They intentionally did that.

858

Chris: And I, I went, I was

like, okay, look, I'll be fine.

859

Let me just order a shot and a drink.

860

And the girls showed up with like.

861

A tall boy, like I, I take normal shots.

862

I'm fine.

863

I actually had to like, take

it gulp and then finish it.

864

I was like, y'all are

trying to fuck us up.

865

I'm like, oh yeah, dude.

866

Okay.

867

This is the file.

868

Want you

869

Joe: to order more shrimp?

870

Chris: Suck it up that way,

871

Joe: dude.

872

It's kind of sad 'cause like all those,

all those tiers of restaurants are going.

873

Yeah, I mean, I haven't seen the

Applebee's in a long, long time.

874

I always tell

875

Hailey: you about those wonton

876

Joe: tacos.

877

A lot of them,

878

Hailey: I love the wonton talk tacos at.

879

Piece,

880

Joe: dude, like low key,

like I got so at, rum Cow.

881

Tyler: Oh yeah.

882

Joe: I love those wonton tacos too.

883

So I was like, I gotta make a wonton taco.

884

I did a tuna poke, wonton taco.

885

It upped the quality, but like

that's definitely predicated

886

on the Applebee's wonton.

887

Those are so, you can't argue that

there's good stuff out there in the world.

888

Exactly.

889

You can overcook it and

make it better know.

890

That's, that's the method.

891

Chris: I mean, the only thing

in Wilmington left is a chili.

892

So, 'cause they close Applebee's.

893

Chili is

894

Joe: the

895

Tyler: Applebee's and Leland's still open.

896

Joe: I think they're all going, man.

897

I think that that's like a, that's

898

Tyler: sad.

899

Joe: I mean, it's, I still loved going

900

Tyler: there when I was

901

Chris: in high school.

902

Yeah,

903

Joe: dude.

904

Another rabbit hole that I recently

went on, and I'm not trying to like

905

turn this into like a conspiracy theory

conversation, but like everyone knows

906

that the quality of food and that like

tear of dining has gone way downhill.

907

Right?

908

Like if you eat at an olive garden,

the chicken does not taste as good.

909

Tyler: No.

910

Yeah.

911

Joe: Like it, it's not a mystery

to me why these places are closing.

912

And then I was like, well, why is

it universal that they're all bad?

913

And I don't even know

I should say that name.

914

I guess it's fine.

915

It doesn't matter.

916

Cisco controls over half

of restaurant deliveries.

917

In the US they do 350,000

individual locations.

918

There's 700,000 restaurants in the us.

919

They have uniformly bad product.

920

That's what's happening.

921

Like it's not, it's not some

big mystery for me, right?

922

It's like they're using bad

product and like the food quality.

923

It's just gone down.

924

It's what it is.

925

And they're gonna close.

926

Tyler: It does make sense

927

Chris: though.

928

Joe: It does very lateral,

929

Chris: right.

930

Wait, you guys don't

have food here, correct?

931

Joe: Nope.

932

Okay.

933

Chris: So we went down that rabbit

hole and I was like, food sounds

934

good, but I had to make sure.

935

So

936

Joe: no food here.

937

I miss making food, man.

938

That's like the one thing, and

I think about it a lot because

939

going through COVID and having a

restaurant was like terrible, man.

940

Yeah, it was just soul sucking.

941

It was me and Chip sitting around.

942

Doing like three to go orders a day.

943

Like, oh

944

Chris: wow,

945

Joe: this is terrible.

946

I got like an infant at the house.

947

I'm like, oh God, right?

948

And so I was like, I'm never

gonna do a restaurant again.

949

And then like five years have

gone by now, and I'm like, man.

950

In, I really want do a, I

just miss walking in and like

951

making exactly what I want.

952

Like having like huge slab pork

belly and just making that big

953

P minute cheese burger with

954

Chris: like, that's what

you'll do downstairs.

955

When you get that space, you do it

as like, that's totally the place.

956

Do it as like a ghost kitchen.

957

Joe's little kitchen.

958

You just make,

959

Joe: dude, I've got a concept too.

960

Chris: Just make only food for

a here and people can order it.

961

Do like Mr.

962

Beast, when he had like the

Beast Burger and it was just

963

like floating ghost kitchens.

964

Joe: Oh, I dig that.

965

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

966

There's a piece of me

that wants it for sure.

967

Chris: That's good.

968

But not yet.

969

Joe: But not yet.

970

My daughter's gotta get a little bit

older once she's like old enough to, yeah.

971

Hailey: Work in the restaurant.

972

Joe: Remember work in the restaurant.

973

Yeah.

974

Tyler: So one of the questions I've

been like dying to ask you when

975

I saw that this place was open.

976

Is this one of the concepts too,

that you're gonna run it for

977

a little bit and then sell it?

978

Or is this something that you're

gonna hold onto for a while?

979

Joe: You know, so I, I get

asked that question a lot.

980

And it's never, it's never it's never

been like a I'm gonna sell this situation.

981

Oh, okay.

982

There, there's never been like a

time that I was like, I'm gonna

983

build this and sell it, you know?

984

It's just changes, you know, it's just

things and making room for more, you know?

985

I guess the short answer

is that like, I don't.

986

I don't want to sell this.

987

I don't have any like,

aspiration to sell it, you know?

988

Right.

989

I don't think you know, something

like the restaurant, like Rum

990

Cow, like, I went through COVID

and like I had a, a 1-year-old.

991

Tyler: Right.

992

Yeah.

993

Joe: I needed to sell that.

994

Like, it, it wasn't motivated by

like some plan for me to like.

995

Flip a restaurant or something else.

996

That's true.

997

I haven't seen my daughter in like

three weeks and like I'm needed at

998

the house and I'm working 80 hours.

999

So, you know, a lot of it is just kind of

happenstance more than anything, you know?

00:29:53,554 --> 00:29:58,444

I don't think that I would ever enter

in with the idea of selling, you know?

00:29:59,434 --> 00:30:01,174

So I don't have that idea Now.

00:30:01,234 --> 00:30:02,764

I have a 20 year lease on this.

00:30:03,184 --> 00:30:06,354

I think that I think

I'm calmer than I was.

00:30:07,014 --> 00:30:07,914

I think that I'm really.

00:30:08,409 --> 00:30:12,330

A lot of energy and like I'm motivated

and I love to create stuff and I

00:30:12,330 --> 00:30:14,580

think I'm not, I'm not done with that.

00:30:14,580 --> 00:30:17,209

I think I probably will open more

places, but I feel a lot more

00:30:17,209 --> 00:30:19,699

grounded now than I did for sure.

00:30:19,909 --> 00:30:20,179

Chris: Yeah,

00:30:20,599 --> 00:30:21,709

Joe: that's So I don't think so.

00:30:22,249 --> 00:30:23,449

I don't, I don't have any intention of it.

00:30:23,449 --> 00:30:23,780

Right.

00:30:23,780 --> 00:30:24,110

Yeah.

00:30:24,829 --> 00:30:26,300

Chris: Look on Haley's face, like,

00:30:26,540 --> 00:30:30,320

Joe: yeah, you'd probably

just buy it, you know?

00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:31,880

It's just so, it's so wild, man.

00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:34,490

Like there's this, and there's sometimes

like, you know, with rum count, like.

00:30:35,975 --> 00:30:37,985

I couldn't say no, like the offer was.

00:30:38,615 --> 00:30:39,335

Too good.

00:30:39,395 --> 00:30:43,175

Like, like I'm not gonna say I'm not

gonna make a poor business decision

00:30:43,655 --> 00:30:43,925

Tyler: True.

00:30:44,105 --> 00:30:45,545

Joe: When I got like

a family at the house.

00:30:45,545 --> 00:30:46,805

So I mean, yeah.

00:30:46,865 --> 00:30:47,255

I don't know.

00:30:47,345 --> 00:30:48,635

I don't want to, I don't think I will.

00:30:49,055 --> 00:30:49,355

Tyler: Yeah.

00:30:49,415 --> 00:30:49,925

That's awesome.

00:30:51,084 --> 00:30:53,934

'Cause there's some people that literally

only go into business just for the

00:30:53,934 --> 00:30:55,374

sake of selling it in a few years.

00:30:55,570 --> 00:30:57,820

And like that's just the

business plan of those people.

00:30:57,820 --> 00:31:01,869

And then like the other interesting

thing that you're saying is like,

00:31:01,899 --> 00:31:05,320

Hey, this good opportunity comes

up, like for rum cow, sell it.

00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:07,209

Another opportunity comes

up to open somewhere else.

00:31:07,209 --> 00:31:08,260

Like you take it, take it.

00:31:08,379 --> 00:31:11,499

So it's just, it's really cool like

meeting someone that's willing to make

00:31:11,499 --> 00:31:14,050

those big changes when it makes sense.

00:31:14,079 --> 00:31:16,959

'cause there's so many people that are

always so scared to either sell what

00:31:16,959 --> 00:31:18,760

they're used to or start something new.

00:31:19,084 --> 00:31:21,754

But it doesn't seem like

that really that way.

00:31:21,754 --> 00:31:22,715

Joe: No, I'm not, I'm not afraid.

00:31:22,715 --> 00:31:23,345

Tyler: Yeah,

00:31:23,345 --> 00:31:23,764

Joe: yeah, yeah.

00:31:23,764 --> 00:31:27,604

But like, you know, a very central

piece of all this stuff for me is

00:31:27,604 --> 00:31:30,184

like a, is is the legacy of it.

00:31:30,215 --> 00:31:33,514

Like, I mean, I, I'm not talking

about from like a, getting recognized

00:31:33,514 --> 00:31:36,334

on the street perspective, but

like, I got a, I got a daughter.

00:31:36,425 --> 00:31:39,724

Like I, I want to show her

the things like I, right.

00:31:39,754 --> 00:31:40,894

I like being a part of it.

00:31:40,894 --> 00:31:44,314

Like I, I'm super invested in downtown

and its development and like the

00:31:44,314 --> 00:31:47,284

general trajectory, you know, at

this point, like we've connected.

00:31:47,905 --> 00:31:50,544

True downtown to Gray Street

and develop that area.

00:31:50,544 --> 00:31:53,365

Like I, I'm really proud of a lot of that

stuff and I'm really proud of the people

00:31:53,365 --> 00:31:56,835

that are running 'em and you know, like

I, I like having like a mark left 'cause

00:31:56,915 --> 00:31:58,085

yeah, I don't know, it just feels good.

00:31:58,385 --> 00:31:59,825

And then like, I think about it a lot.

00:31:59,825 --> 00:32:04,055

Like I'll, I'll hopefully take my

daughter to Taco Baby and run Cow

00:32:04,055 --> 00:32:06,845

and whenever she can drink, we can

get our first drink at Whiskey Tako.

00:32:07,295 --> 00:32:07,805

Exactly.

00:32:07,805 --> 00:32:09,905

And stop like under fun and come

and shoot a game, man, you know?

00:32:10,355 --> 00:32:10,685

Okay.

00:32:10,745 --> 00:32:11,435

I like that.

00:32:11,585 --> 00:32:13,625

And all the places that I do are not.

00:32:14,360 --> 00:32:16,100

Controlled by the machine man.

00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:16,250

Right.

00:32:16,250 --> 00:32:17,960

I mean, and that's just a true statement.

00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:21,980

And you know, that's another important

piece is that there's still like, you

00:32:21,980 --> 00:32:23,975

know, part of a culture that exists.

00:32:23,975 --> 00:32:24,215

Mm-hmm.

00:32:24,295 --> 00:32:26,420

Like we, we, we didn't

have to do anything.

00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:30,290

You know, we chose to do all the things

that we did and you know, even now we

00:32:30,290 --> 00:32:32,510

just constantly modify and change and.

00:32:33,035 --> 00:32:35,345

We meet an artist that can

do cool shit and we're like,

00:32:35,525 --> 00:32:36,185

Chris: let's do it.

00:32:36,185 --> 00:32:36,455

Joe: That's awesome.

00:32:37,475 --> 00:32:40,535

And having that flexibility and

being able to continue to create,

00:32:40,865 --> 00:32:43,115

you know, that's just a, that's just

a really big piece of it and it's

00:32:43,115 --> 00:32:45,185

a really good feeling, you know?

00:32:45,545 --> 00:32:45,965

I don't know.

00:32:46,325 --> 00:32:47,345

Just keep existing.

00:32:47,555 --> 00:32:48,005

Tyler: Yeah.

00:32:48,095 --> 00:32:48,635

Joe: It's nice.

00:32:48,725 --> 00:32:50,525

Tyler: So I know you're a

huge part of under front.

00:32:50,915 --> 00:32:54,095

So after under front, when you were

starting this, what was something that

00:32:54,095 --> 00:32:58,445

was really surprising to you during the

initial phase of like getting your hands

00:32:58,445 --> 00:32:59,795

dirty and getting this place opened?

00:33:01,145 --> 00:33:03,035

Hailey: I'm not afraid

to get my hands dirty.

00:33:03,245 --> 00:33:03,725

Joe: She's not.

00:33:04,205 --> 00:33:05,705

Hailey: I wasn't like, I was like all in.

00:33:05,705 --> 00:33:06,725

I was like, what do you want me to do?

00:33:06,725 --> 00:33:06,815

Right.

00:33:06,845 --> 00:33:09,125

Because I would be still working

over there, so we wouldn't

00:33:09,125 --> 00:33:09,965

really see each other here.

00:33:10,115 --> 00:33:10,415

Tyler: Oh wow.

00:33:10,415 --> 00:33:10,475

Yeah.

00:33:10,475 --> 00:33:11,915

Hailey: So I'd just be like,

Hey, what can I do today?

00:33:13,145 --> 00:33:15,635

I don't, nothing was like

super surprising, I guess.

00:33:16,805 --> 00:33:17,105

Tyler: Yeah,

00:33:17,705 --> 00:33:21,905

Joe: I think it's, from my perspective,

it's a lot of fun because I, I've

00:33:21,905 --> 00:33:23,555

done this a bunch of times, right?

00:33:23,555 --> 00:33:25,775

So like, there's a lot of things

that like, I'm just gonna kind

00:33:25,775 --> 00:33:27,215

of straightforward into it.

00:33:27,305 --> 00:33:28,625

Hailey: I was like guided the whole time.

00:33:28,715 --> 00:33:33,455

Joe: But to see like the raw

excitement and herb is fucking awesome.

00:33:33,485 --> 00:33:33,845

Hailey: It was fun.

00:33:33,845 --> 00:33:34,325

Joe: That's great.

00:33:34,565 --> 00:33:34,985

Hailey: It was fun.

00:33:34,985 --> 00:33:36,485

Like I was not afraid of getting dirty.

00:33:36,545 --> 00:33:38,855

I got rashes on my legs

from some of the carpet.

00:33:40,175 --> 00:33:40,225

I believe it.

00:33:40,225 --> 00:33:41,700

We have to do that tomorrow with pants.

00:33:41,965 --> 00:33:42,865

'cause this is itchy.

00:33:43,375 --> 00:33:46,735

But like nothing, there

was some gross stuff.

00:33:46,765 --> 00:33:46,825

Joe: Oh.

00:33:46,825 --> 00:33:47,215

I'm sure.

00:33:48,655 --> 00:33:50,185

Hailey: It, we probably

shouldn't speak of, but

00:33:50,815 --> 00:33:51,504

Joe: it was beautiful.

00:33:51,925 --> 00:33:52,495

Hailey: It was fun.

00:33:52,500 --> 00:33:53,785

Like I just had fun doing it.

00:33:53,815 --> 00:33:55,045

Like it really was like fun.

00:33:55,825 --> 00:33:57,895

Tyler: Is that something you,

what was probably more surprising

00:33:57,895 --> 00:33:58,915

to you that was as fun?

00:33:58,915 --> 00:34:01,405

It was to like build something

from like the ground up that

00:34:01,405 --> 00:34:02,155

you're like, oh my gosh.

00:34:02,155 --> 00:34:03,220

Like this has really opened my eyes.

00:34:03,220 --> 00:34:03,420

Hailey: Yeah.

00:34:03,420 --> 00:34:04,355

And then like we just got to pick.

00:34:05,380 --> 00:34:09,370

Everything like from carpet colors to

ceiling colors, to fixtures to everything.

00:34:09,370 --> 00:34:09,670

'cause right.

00:34:10,210 --> 00:34:11,139

It was just bare bones.

00:34:11,139 --> 00:34:12,639

So it's like, okay, where do we start?

00:34:13,060 --> 00:34:13,510

Tyler: That's neat.

00:34:13,690 --> 00:34:14,500

Hailey: Yeah, it was fun.

00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:16,695

Tyler: What was your favorite part

of building the whole thing out then?

00:34:18,500 --> 00:34:20,389

Hailey: I think we're

moving those dress boxes.

00:34:20,509 --> 00:34:21,020

Oh yeah.

00:34:21,109 --> 00:34:22,279

And finding out that there

was brick back there.

00:34:22,279 --> 00:34:23,989

I was like, he pulled it out a little bit.

00:34:24,049 --> 00:34:25,609

I wedged back and I was

like, there's brick.

00:34:25,699 --> 00:34:26,509

We gotta pull it out.

00:34:26,600 --> 00:34:27,980

Joe: You guys see this brick wall here?

00:34:27,980 --> 00:34:28,219

Yes.

00:34:28,310 --> 00:34:28,520

Tyler: Oh

00:34:28,520 --> 00:34:28,730

Joe: yeah.

00:34:28,730 --> 00:34:31,520

She hand sanded all the

mortar off the entire wall.

00:34:31,525 --> 00:34:31,634

Oh.

00:34:32,815 --> 00:34:33,194

Hailey: In there.

00:34:33,915 --> 00:34:34,245

Joe: Yeah.

00:34:34,395 --> 00:34:35,114

Wow.

00:34:35,264 --> 00:34:38,625

Hailey: My knuckles were bloody was, I

was out under front and the bartender

00:34:38,625 --> 00:34:40,455

next to me is like, did you get a fight?

00:34:40,784 --> 00:34:42,043

And I was like, whatcha talking about?

00:34:42,043 --> 00:34:42,495

No.

00:34:42,645 --> 00:34:43,424

She's like, look at your knuckles.

00:34:43,424 --> 00:34:45,645

I was like, oh, that's from

the brick over at Cinch.

00:34:45,824 --> 00:34:48,645

Joe: I remember there was, there

was like three times you came in and

00:34:48,645 --> 00:34:53,399

like told me that it felt real, like

different like stages inside the build.

00:34:53,399 --> 00:34:56,145

I mean, I think that there was

like this whole like demo stage

00:34:56,145 --> 00:34:57,225

where you're like, what the fuck?

00:34:57,285 --> 00:34:57,660

Like, let's,

00:34:57,890 --> 00:34:58,339

Hailey: it's like at

00:34:58,339 --> 00:35:00,104

Joe: the very beginning,

let's get it done.

00:35:00,345 --> 00:35:02,145

I think when that bar

went up, you're like, oh.

00:35:02,779 --> 00:35:03,379

It feels real.

00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:05,839

Hailey: I remember going back there

and I just sat on the floor and took

00:35:05,839 --> 00:35:08,450

a video because I was trying to,

anything we did, I was trying to get

00:35:08,450 --> 00:35:12,230

like pictures of like the progress so

we can like eventually like post those.

00:35:12,259 --> 00:35:12,529

Exactly.

00:35:12,529 --> 00:35:14,330

And that's why I was like,

oh wait, there's a bar here.

00:35:14,330 --> 00:35:15,470

Like this is legit.

00:35:15,950 --> 00:35:18,379

Joe: And then the day the pool tables

went in and I was like, oh shit.

00:35:18,859 --> 00:35:20,810

Hailey: Yeah, we both

were sitting there tired.

00:35:20,900 --> 00:35:21,980

It took them hours,

00:35:22,069 --> 00:35:22,520

Joe: long time

00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:23,180

Chris: to

00:35:23,180 --> 00:35:23,750

Hailey: assemble them.

00:35:23,750 --> 00:35:24,859

It was kind of crazy to watch too.

00:35:25,490 --> 00:35:27,200

Joe: Well, these are,

these are real pool tables.

00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:28,069

That's a Brunswick gold.

00:35:28,399 --> 00:35:28,700

Right.

00:35:28,700 --> 00:35:31,220

That sounds super pretentious for

me to say it like that, but like,

00:35:31,520 --> 00:35:34,040

they're great tables and so like,

they, they come from Brunswick.

00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:35,240

They got made for us, and

00:35:35,240 --> 00:35:36,470

Hailey: that felt very real too.

00:35:36,589 --> 00:35:38,359

And then coming in the next

day and playing on 'em,

00:35:38,629 --> 00:35:38,960

Chris: right.

00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:39,350

Yeah.

00:35:40,430 --> 00:35:41,149

Joe: This is it now.

00:35:41,180 --> 00:35:41,569

Hailey: Yeah.

00:35:41,810 --> 00:35:47,750

Chris: It's, so, as a non aficionado,

what's the difference between the tables?

00:35:47,899 --> 00:35:48,799

Is one smaller

00:35:49,430 --> 00:35:49,520

Hailey: Yep.

00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:49,879

Seven foot.

00:35:50,870 --> 00:35:51,200

Joe: Yeah.

00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:53,870

So I mean, a PA in Wilmington

plays on seven foot.

00:35:53,920 --> 00:35:54,130

Huh.

00:35:54,520 --> 00:35:57,250

The standard for like Vegas

tournament is nine foot.

00:35:57,370 --> 00:35:59,200

This is a, a tournament table.

00:35:59,270 --> 00:36:02,060

Okay, so it's, it's got tournament fabric.

00:36:02,060 --> 00:36:05,430

It's a lot smoother and

the balls roll faster.

00:36:05,905 --> 00:36:08,185

And that's like the

general biggest standard.

00:36:08,245 --> 00:36:09,625

This is kind of the bar standard.

00:36:10,075 --> 00:36:10,435

Chris: Okay.

00:36:10,795 --> 00:36:11,275

Joe: Interesting.

00:36:11,455 --> 00:36:11,605

Okay.

00:36:11,785 --> 00:36:15,235

Chris: Yeah, I was sitting there

looking, I'm like, obviously I know

00:36:15,235 --> 00:36:20,065

you can change the color of felt to

anything you want, but I was, I noticed,

00:36:20,065 --> 00:36:23,905

I'm like, you can definitely see the

quality difference and I appreciate

00:36:23,905 --> 00:36:25,615

that from what you guys have put in.

00:36:26,185 --> 00:36:26,485

Joe: Yeah.

00:36:27,085 --> 00:36:27,325

Yeah.

00:36:27,325 --> 00:36:29,680

Well, and a lot of people, you

know, I hesitate to say that like

00:36:29,680 --> 00:36:31,180

a seven foot is a beginner table.

00:36:31,210 --> 00:36:32,680

'cause I don't, I don't think that's true.

00:36:32,740 --> 00:36:37,660

Like I, I play on nine foot, so I'm not

as good on a seven foot as I am a nine.

00:36:37,660 --> 00:36:40,000

And I think that that's probably

true for folks to typically play

00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:41,725

on a seven foot opposite than nine.

00:36:41,725 --> 00:36:41,965

Yeah.

00:36:41,965 --> 00:36:43,600

Hailey: I play a sevens,

I'm horrible on a nine,

00:36:44,050 --> 00:36:44,320

Joe: I think.

00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:47,830

I think from like a short game

perspective, obviously a seven foot is

00:36:47,830 --> 00:36:49,360

a lot more forgiving than a nine foot.

00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:49,690

Right.

00:36:49,690 --> 00:36:49,845

You know.

00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:53,080

And you have to adjust

like the, the hidden speed.

00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:56,890

I'd say that a nine foot is obviously

more difficult overall, you know,

00:36:56,950 --> 00:36:58,600

more of like a professional standard.

00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:00,420

But I think both of

them have their virtues.

00:37:00,510 --> 00:37:00,690

Chris: Yeah.

00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:02,850

That explains so much in my life.

00:37:03,030 --> 00:37:05,280

Tyler: Is there a difference

between pool and billiards?

00:37:05,370 --> 00:37:05,730

Joe: Yes.

00:37:06,180 --> 00:37:06,900

Tyler: What is that?

00:37:06,900 --> 00:37:07,920

Joe: Billiards is snooker.

00:37:09,270 --> 00:37:12,360

Oh, so snooker has played

on a 10 or 11 foot table,

00:37:12,360 --> 00:37:12,720