Corey Sims has a simple vision: to make the best-damned arcade themed bar in town and to keep it family friendly. For the last several months, Sims and his partner, Tony Thomas, have been doing just that, with the Recbar. A gamer’s daydream, Recbar, blends together arcade machines, table-top gaming, and the kind of food that recalls your youth with a fantastic beer and alcohol menu. The bar supports a staff of 40, serving a wide range of clientele from young to old. It’s a nice spot, nestled into the heart of scenic downtown Jeffersontown, with an open patio area for those days when you can bear the humidity. And it’s here to stay.
The decision to open their first location in J-Town was intentional. Located at the former site of Anne Marie’s Bacon Bar and the Blue Mule at 10301 Taylorsville Rd., the area offers affordable rent and ample space to spread out.
“We wanted somewhere that had an established kitchen and bar that was already built out,” says Sims. “Both of us being residents out here, you’re not paying the premium that you’re paying in the Highlands. It’s really an area that hasn’t been tapped too much for this style of venue.”
Thomas adds, “We occupy about 5,000 square feet now, but are looking to expand in to the space next door.”
On Nostalgia
When you first walk in you can’t help but see the wall-to-wall arcade machines. This is the arcade fantasy of your youth, the end goal on any trip to the mall or movies. There are games in virtually every place that there can be, with more on the way. The variety is broad too, although many of the big name machines are present.
After hearing Sims describe the games, it’s easy to see how passionate he and Thomas are about their inventory. “We’ve got the Turtles and that was at the top of our list,” says Sims. “We’ve got our Soul Caliber in a four player cabinet, so we might make getting the Simpsons game in there to be our pet project. Stern just made a new Ghostbusters pinball machine. The artwork is all the old Ghostbusters. They stuck to the ’80s version. It takes me back to being a kid again.”
Of their oldest game Thomas adds, “Our Warlords Cocktail cabinet is probably our rarest game right now. A friend had one on display at the Louisville Arcade Expo this year that people were constantly lined up to play. We thought we would never see one for sale in the area and then randomly, an estate sale popped up about a month later with one in great condition.”
The two admit that their aesthetic choice was entirely intentional. Sims says, “Nostalgia plays a big part in it. Everything down to our food menu, we tried to stay true to our childhood roots. Tater tots. Mac and cheese, but taking it up a level. The grilled mac and cheese. To feed into that childhood nostalgia.”
Recbar’s menu offers a wide variety of options designed to appeal to your inner kid. Think delicious frosted flakes breaded chicken fingers or Philly Steak tacos with Cheez-Whiz. Of everything though, their Breakfast Burger is considered their signature dish. Served on Belgian waffles for buns, the sandwich boasts an 8 oz. prime beef cut topped with a fried egg, bacon, and cheese.
The fun doesn’t stop at the dinner rush. Sims explains, “We have Cards Against Humanity, Jenga, Connect Four. It’s all about being social. Whether it’s playing the games together, meet up for drinks, we just want to give them a casual atmosphere for it. For us, it’s seeing all the different types of people that come in and have fun. It means a lot to see groups coming out and seeing them spend three or four hours here. We didn’t build it for us, we built it for everyone else to enjoy.”
The future is so bright
It’s no surprise that Sims and Thomas are ambitious. Since opening early this spring, the Recbar has become a hit. As such, they’ve already got their eye on the future. Sims explains, “We just got the space next door, so we have another thousand square feet that we’re going to convert over for expansion. We haven’t really solidified the layout for how we’re going to do it. Recbar was named for recreation, but we want to branch out to any and all games out there. Expansion: the goal is to have it open and ready by September.”
“We are looking to create the ‘Rec Room.’ We will release more details as we get closer to opening the expansion,” adds Thomas.
That’s just the start. There is an unrepentant optimism that becomes immediately apparent when talking to Sims, not only in having realized the vision that he and his partner started with, but in growing that to the next level.
“The goal is definitely to have more than one Recbar,” Sims says. “Where would dictate where is the real estate at the time. We’re on a fairly short timeline as to where we’ll start a second location. We’ll let the space and neighborhood dictate the feel of it. Here, a lot of people think that because ‘Bar’ is in the name, that it’s adults only, but because it’s J-Town, there are a lot of young families out here, and we want people to bring in their kids.”
Sims has already started thinking about how their environment may shape their business. He admits, “If you’re in NuLu or the Highlands, it’s more millennial driven, so that may change the dynamic of the bar to something more 21 and over.”
