Staff Photos Nick Brothers
Greg Hodges, the owner of The Nines, stands behind the bar at his speakeasy-esque lounge off Center Street. The bar celebrated its two year anniversary last week.
There’s an inherent sense of cool, romance and class to The Nines. Greg Hodges, the owner of the old-school bar with a speakeasy vibe just celebrated two successful years last week.
Discovering The Nines is almost as cool as the place itself. Located at 546 W Center between Mayapple Salon and the Backspace, The Nines sits unassuming off the gravel path. Once inside, it’s as if you’ve entered a portal to a timeless age.
The place is adorned with authentic, vintage americana. Typewriters, maps and leather-bound volumes provide eye candy behind the bar and among the bookshelves, and tin knick knacks occupy shelving along the walls. It’s dark, and the only light is from dim, exposed filament lightbulbs and candles. With vintage furniture all throughout the bar, it feels like a cozy living room in New Orleans. Again, romantic.
Behind the bar — which was found nearly as-is for $275 at The Flying Dog — you can normally find Hodges serving drinks. At 46, he certainly doesn’t look it. Often found sporting a thin five o’clock shadow, horn-rimmed glasses, suspenders and a simple t-shirt, he carries a timeless style all to himself.
Style, at the core of The Nines, is what the bar is all about. The name is derived from the expression “dressing to the nines.” However, there’s no expectation to dress up.
“To me, I think the bar part comes second,” Hodges said. “I think it’s a place for people to come enjoy and relax and get away from the scene out there. It’s kind of a retreat where you’re going to meet like-minded people and have some great conversations.”
While there is no liquor license for Old Fashioned’s, the bar serves local beer and even wine on tap. Actually, The Nines may be the only bar in town with wine on tap. The house drink, The Feels, is a concoction of champagne and fresh strawberry puree. The beer is served, not in Coors Light cups, but old diner milkshake glasses.
During the week, Hodges has the music of The Nines set to a piano blues variety — one of Hodges favorite styles. On a weekend night, you’re likely to hear some cool house music — juxtaposing the vintage vibe with modern. An old piano sits in one corner, and eventually there are plans for casual live piano music during the week.
The Nines is the only bar in Fayetteville that has wine on tap.
Whenever Hodges isn’t there, he’s either enjoying his time off or keeping his first enterprise alive working as a wedding DJ. Creating dance floors and atmospheres has always been a passion for him since being a kid. He’s been doing DJ gigs since he was in college at the University of Arkansas, and does about 25 a year now.
The Nines is very much the vision of Hodges’ ideal gathering space and makes an effort to be present. In a lot of ways, Hodges keeps The Nines as a second public home.
“One thing I’ve learned in two years is I need and want to be a huge part of this place,” he said. “I went about a month where I didn’t work here and it made me feel lazy. I started feeling left out. I’m coming in here and seeing regulars that I don’t know. I learned that I wanted to be there to be the physical face of the place and I actually enjoy myself here more than ever.”
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
As urban and hip as The Nines may be, at his core, Hodges is still a country boy who grew up in the sticks of Elizabeth, Ark. The town was too small for a population sign, he said.
“I guess it’s a blessing and a curse to know everyone and their mom and grandma,” he said. “It’s neat having that sense of community. I just love the small school atmosphere where you know everyone.”
Rather tall, Hodges played basketball throughout high school in Viola, Ark. Because there wasn’t much else to do, the team got to be pretty good and the town rallied behind the team. He graduated in 1987, and without question went to be a razorback at the University of Arkansas studying communications.
A group of friends hang out in a padded floor seating area. The Nines can get lively at times on the weekends and low-key during the week.
Moving to Fayetteville was eye opening, where everything felt like a big city, Hodges said. During school, he would rise to the sun to work until class started, and then work the rest of the afternoon to make enough money for school and rent. In 1991, he started his own business as a DJ/Emcee for hire, something he’d wanted to do since he was a little kid.
“I don’t think he was one that was ever afraid to do his own thing. For stuff like that I never thought of him as one that has gone with the crowd,” said Vicki Hodges, Greg’s sister. “He and his best friend in high school were always acting like they had a radio station and acting like they were on-air DJs. I remember he would pick out music for my friends and I to dance to.”
Without Google to search “How to be a DJ,” Hodges said he made a lot of mistakes buying some pretty bad gear and making shoddy brochures he gave out to schools when he started out. Eventually, he started getting homecoming and prom gigs and upgraded his gear over time.
Then, it got to a point where his DJ business was able to make enough for a comfortable living. It hit its peak when Modern Bride, a national wedding magazine, declared him the best DJ in Arkansas. At that point, things were taking off. He once made $10,400 (he still keeps a photocopy of the check) in one night for one of the most extravagant weddings Fayetteville has likely ever had.
With his DJ business booming, Hodges decided to pursue his dream of one day owning his own dance club. So, with a couple other owners, he retired his DJ business and put everything into opening Speakeasy (where C4 is now) with a couple of partners in 2006. As a DJ, the idea was to own his own dance club.
A couple has a conversation on one of the vintage couches at The Nines.
The problem is though, they made a bunch of rookie mistakes, Hodges said. There were too many owners with different visions, too much money was being spent on overhead and labor and despite a very successful couple years, in 2008 the recession hit. Speakeasy was in bad shape, and Hodges left the bar in 2009 on creative differences. Having retired his DJ business, he found himself in debt and without an income.
“Sometimes rock bottom is good,” Hodges said. “That Speakeasy experience taught me a lot. I learned I enjoyed seeing these people that were supporting us. I was always shaking hands. I’ve always enjoyed hosting, so that’s always been in me. Being in Fayetteville, I always felt like it needed a late-night lounge that would always be open to 2 o’clock.”
After recovering from his low point, Hodges restarted his DJ business and within a year was at its former glory all the while looking for what would one day become The Nines. A few prospects fell through, but when he finally got to see the would-be spot, he signed the lease on the spot.
Four months of thrifting for vintage furniture later, The Nines opened July 1, 2013 — which happened to be his birthday. Hodges decided to open completely on word of mouth in true speakeasy tradition. While this led to a few empty nights, a core community formed and regular business started coming in.
“When it first opened, I was bad at predicting which bars would work but I was concerned about it going in because of its hidden location,” said Clint Murphy, one of Hodges’ best friends. “Greg’s been a guy around town for a while though, and he knows tons of people. His personality really brought the place to life. I like the darkness, the vibe of it and that New Orleans influence. The Decor, the vintage feel — stylistically it’s a lot of things Greg is into.”
With two years down, The Nines doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.
“I’m enjoying my life right now more than I ever have,” Hodges said. “I’ve failed a lot, which I think everyone needs to fail. The more you fail, the more you’ll succeed. I know it sounds cliche, but I’ve experienced that.
“I want to make The Nines a personal place. I want everyone that comes here to feel like they’re a part of something bigger than a bar, like they’re family. I want The Nines to be like a Maxine’s or Hugo’s. I want this place to exist for a long time.”
