New bar brings 'retro paradise' to Wadsworth

WADSWORTH — "We just wanted to do this for the community and as a way to sort of bring back the south end of town," said Tom DeVoe, co-owner of Wadsworth's new Retro Inc Bar & Grille. "This is a historical building and we want to revitalize that south of town bar crawl along with places like K.C.'s (Sports Pub) and Wadsworth Tavern." DeVoe and company are furthering that effort with their establishment at 377 Main St., which has involved a significant revamp of space formerly occupied by The South END Tavern and other bars throughout the building's long history. Retro Inc has chosen an atmosphere that embraces 1980s pop culture with room left for some 1970s and 1990s content. Hand-painted murals depicting iconic figures such as Pink Floyd and Darth Vader were completed by local artist Jim Weckbacher Jr., whose father Jim Sr. was a long-time Wadsworth City Schools art teacher. "We wanted this place to carry things from the '70s, '80s, and '90s into our modern world because we feel like a lot of those things and the sense of happiness they brought are missing from today," DeVoe said. "We truly want this to be a retro paradise and a retro getaway for anyone who comes in. I give a personal tour to anyone who comes in for the first time." The bar began welcoming guests under its new banner in May, but owners are gearing up for an official grand opening community celebration sometime this summer. A neon Retro Inc sign suitable for the bar's atmosphere was just turned on late last week. Guests are welcomed daily from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. to enjoy aforementioned entertainment as well as a full kitchen, beer assortment, and wide selection of spirits. The menu includes chicken salad, pulled buffalo chicken sandwiches, quesadillas, and pizza while sale of "retro burgers" topped with six cheeses and a secret sauce blend began toward the end of May. DeVoe owns Retro Inc along with fellow Wadsworth residents Shilo Sellers and Lee Farnsworth. "We've all been friends for years and years and I know this has been a dream of Shilo's for a long, long time," DeVoe said. "For me, this was really all about her and getting the right people together to make this happen for her. When I saw that smile on her face that first night we opened, it made everything worth it." In addition to local help with interior artwork, DeVoe said that fellow community members have stepped up to fill other needs ranging from roofing and flooring to sign installation. He made specific mention of roofing and construction help from Patrick Richards, quick interior setup from Sara Likely and Ashlee Nora, as well as flooring made available for well below retail price. "When I was at Lowe's about the flooring a guy came up and said, 'Here, I've got something to show you,'" DeVoe said. "I go around the corner and there's 26 pallets of discontinued flooring for 26 cents per square foot. We paid $105 for something that would usually be around $1,000." "I think there must have been something like a thousand people who've contributed to Retro Inc and what we're doing here," he added. "When people come together with a common goal and strong work ethic it's pretty amazing what can be accomplished. When people walk in and see what we've done, we're proof of that. There's so many great people who made that possible." Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at (330) 721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.