Walking in the front doors, the place is decorated in a classic way, ‘All American’ as the name suggests. Neon beer signs light up the room as iconic photos of sixties’ rockers and celebrities adorn one of the sidewalls. Yet you can already tell this is going to be a popular hot spot for any excuse you can find to venture out to SouthEnd. Twenty-four massive TVs surround the area, including one that is 80-inches high above the sprawling bar at the front. Dozens of booths and bar stools decorate the area and a prominent DJ booth stands tall in the corner, promising to rock out the venue throughout the week. Yet that’s just the beginning. Walk toward the back and two wide doors swing open, presenting another large room. Keep walking and another set of doors takes you into a third room, complete with yet another wrap-around bar. And if you keep going, another room springs up, offering up a fourth room that completes All American Pub. The place is full of possibilities and Tom Wicker, part owner of AAP, wanted it exactly that way. Wicker and his partner, Britton McCorkle, have big plans for the space, including sectioning off rooms for private gatherings and turning one part of the space into a new dance club for Charlotte. The doors are perfect to swing open and turn the venue into one massively long bar, or to close off and create a different atmosphere every time you walk through a new set of doors. Wicker lights up as he talks about the plans, proud to be a part of this new venture but also comments with great ease about the ideas for the space and the restaurant business. Yet, after 40 years of experience and 36 restaurants and bars under his belt, it’s no surprise that this is all in a day for him. “Someone said ‘is this your last restaurant’ and I said ‘no, my last one was five years ago,’” Wicker joked with a smile. “I forget all the restaurants and bars I’ve opened. I wrote them all down one day and couldn’t believe it.”
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