Sometimes, two things that are not predicted to mesh go together very well. I can imagine people probably once thought, why would you put smashed peanuts with pureed grapes? Others probably imagined cameras would be useless on a phone. Two men, who initially didn’t know each other, running a bar that isn’t even in the nightclub district of Boise sounded like a terrible idea, but it is working, and working well. Fatty’s is a bar that’s going on its second birthday this fall. It’s owners, Justin Zora (34) and Clay Roman (29), are two very different men with one fused mission: To make people feel comfortable while socializing—with or without a drink. Yeah, that’s right, they don’t care if you come in with money or not; they just want you to come say hi. And that is why they are full six nights a week. Fatty’s has faced the odds and survived. Located on the second floor of a historical building, it is much further away from 6th and Main than one would think a bar could be and still survive the Boise nightlife. But that is some of the charm. “It is close enough to feel downtown, but far enough to feel that it isn’t,” Clay says. I kind of relate it to the charm of Boise, where people enjoy the fact that it has a big city feel on a small scale. The venue is a large upstairs locale, which helps customers feel like VIPs, since climbing stairs to enter is necessary. Yet, there is not one VIP in the crowd. Instead, Fatty’s brings in people from all across the social spectrum with its varied events each night, from beer pong to comedy and musical performances. “It’s like a community mixer where everyone can feel comfortable and know that they can be themselves,” says Clay.
I gave Fatty’s a try on Friday night, and it was evident that the there was no one “clique,” as some bars have unintentionally acquired. “Fatty’s has one of those Cheers-like atmospheres. “But instead of one Norm, we have 27,” Justin says to me as we sit in his back office. It is obvious Justin is a happy person. He always has a smile on his face and makes others feel like he might bring them in for a bear hug at any moment, which he says is actually a good quality for a bar owner to possess. “Do you know how many guys end up fighting in your bar, if you go up to them when they are about to throw blows and ask them their name (with eye contact) and if you can hug them?” he asks with a smile. Authenticity is rare in the bar industry, but that is what makes Fatty’s different. Justin and Clay are there, every night, talking to their customers and doing the hands-on work. I personally watched Clay carry all the alcohol in for the weekend, himself. He had to go up and down all those steep stairs, and when I asked if he needed help, he proudly replied, “Nah man, this is what I do!” Bars are what they do. Clay is a driven entrepreneur, with bar experience in Boise that is hard to compete with. He has a keen sense for the subconscious flow of bar psychology, which helps make people feel comfortable in the nighttime environment. Fatty’s has a huge layout, but it is set up like a house. There are different “rooms” for different moods and interests, but a sense of safety and camaraderie unifies the entire bar. This is not the case at all pubs in Boise. And Fatty’s doesn’t have a beefed up staff looking to push patrons around. Rather, they pride themselves on remembering names and offering a selection for each character that comes through the door—from 40ozs. to black label.
Fusion Magazine v.1.4 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2012 67