MOUNT VERNON — Hitting rock bottom can mean a fresh start. For Dave and Angie Detrow, it’s also the name of their new bar.
After six years of work, Dave and Angie Detrow opened The Rock Bottom Bar on Oct. 15, bringing their vision for a neighborhood gathering place to 15121 Wooster Road.
The couple celebrated the opening with a ribbon cutting hosted by the Knox County Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 16.
For Dave Detrow, the idea of opening a bar dates back more than 30 years to his time in the Marine Corps. He envisioned a local spot where people could enjoy food, drinks and good company.
“I always though it’d be nice to have a little bar, a nightclub, just a nice local place you come in, get some food, have some beer and have a good time,” Dave Detrow said.
The idea took shape after Angie brought the property to his attention about six years ago. The couple decided to purchase it, despite the work needed to get it ready.
“It’s been six years in the making now, and we’ve spent a lot of sweat and equity to get here,” Dave Detrow said.
Dave Detrow said the opening day went well and the couple looks forward to welcoming more customers.
Six years in the making
The name “The Rock Bottom Bar” reflects the challenges the Detrows have experienced in their own lives.
Dave said he and Angie grew up on the west side of Columbus and faced some difficulties along the way. The name also reflects the determination it took to bring their business to life.
“We’ve definitely had some hardships,” Dave Detrow said.
He said the couple spent years working toward opening the bar, even when other questioned whether it would happen.
“I’m glad we were able to show people that we really were going to open and that it wasn’t a joke,” Dave Detrow said.
The name carries a message of perseverance, he said.
“You’re up and you’re down, but when you hit rock bottom, there’s nowhere to go but up,” Dave Detrow said.
More than a name
The Detrows designed the bar around their own interests, including country music, classic rock and spending time with others.
Dave works full-time as a firefighter in Columbus. He also has a military background and rides motorcycles. Those experiences helped shape his vision for a place where people from different backgrounds could gather.
“We just wanted to make a nice place where everybody, from a biker in a leather jacket to a golfer can feel welcome,” Dave Detrow said.
The bar offers 12 draft beers, a variety of pizzas and subs. It boasts weekly specials and live entertainment.
A tribute looking for a home
The bar also features a kneeling soldier tribute that the previous owner left at the property.
Because of his military background, Dave Detrow said he would like to keep the tribute. However, he recognizes that the names on it may carry a special meaning for others.
The couple is giving people connected to those names an opportunity to take the tribute home.
Through Nov. 15, anyone whose name appears on the tribute, or a family member of someone listed who has died, can visit the bar to receive a free raffle ticket.
At the end of the 30-day period, the couple will draw a winner who can take the tribute home.
Dave Detrow said the couple worked to protect the tribute during construction and is looking forward to finding it a meaningful home.
(Alexandra Hopkins’ photos of the ribbon cutting).
