The “Family Dog” bar in downtown Richmond first opened its doors in 1974. It became a popular nightspot for thousands of Eastern Kentucky University students for more than a quarter century. For a one-night-only Homecoming event Friday, the doors opened again, the first time in 22 years.
A large crowd gathered along Richmond’s Main Street to watch the annual EKU Homecoming parade. Seconds after it ended, a long line formed up the hill from “The Family Dog”
“Fall in…let’s all get down on first street…nobody get hit… “
Hundreds waited in line. Walking among those gathered outside was EKU President David McFadden who said he visited The Dog during his college days.
“The first Thursday night that I made it down here is like a class reunion. All my friends from Morehead, from UK, from Transy, from Centre, they were all there. So, this wasn’t just a Richmond hotspot for EKU students. It was really the place to be for a college student when I was here and from listening to everyone here, that is true for decades and decades of college students,” said McFadden
Groups of 60 were taken inside to relive college day memories. But first, some admonition on the way in.
“Have you ID’s out and ready please. No fake ID’s We’re on to those. No insurance stamps. We on to that too.”
The first thing many people re-entering the bar noticed is how much brighter it was, compared to those days when they patronized The Dog. That provided for a good view of all the décor of the past, including a part of the dance floor, and the center of the room bar with all its accessories.
Paul Sherman went to school at Eastern and says he ran the Family Dog from 1982 to 88. He said it was not unusual to have 400 people standing in line, waiting their turn to get in. When people came out, people could go in.
“It was open four hours a night. And it took me about four hours of prep every day to get it ready and then I’d DJ in the sound room. Good time. Good place for the kids. Very safe,” said Sherman.
Sherman calls The Dog bar an iconic institution. The lighted disco-styled dance floor was a big hit back in the day. Sherman says he and another man rebuilt the dance floor with new plexiglass.
A group of former bar bouncers gathered inside The Dog. One of them Delbert Brown made the trip to Richmond from the Bronx in New York. He made another trip from New York to Kentucky more than four decades ago.
“My mother was born in West Point Kentucky. So, I got in some trouble while up in New York and my mother said you need a change of scenery and she brought me down here to school and I came down here. I went to Eastern. I had cousins that went here years earlier. So, that’s how I got here,” said Brown.
Maybe the most vivid memory for Brown was when some UK weightlifters came into the bar. He said they were huge, quote, “the biggest people on earth.” Another former bouncer Lee Hatley, who drove from Las Vegas for The Dog reunion, tells the story.
“I went and talked to them, I sweet talked em, cause I didn’t want to fight that big son of a gun. His neck was a thick as his head. I said, ‘look’, cause they had one guy that was acting up. I talked to supposedly the leader of the bunch. I said, ‘look we will let you in at another time, but you need to get him out of here,” said Hatley
Hatley said the weightlifters left without an incident.
From all indications though, it was a pretty joyous scene last Friday. Louisville residents Rhonda and Brian Walker emerged after time inside with a favorite and lasting memory.
“We loved it. I miss the lighted dance floor. We had to come back because this is where we met February tenth 1988. Met 35 years ago, married 30 years ago. Did you see it happening then? No, no. It wasn’t love at first site?..Not exactly….no,” said the Halls.
And the Walkers had other reflections about spending time inside the Richmond nightspot.
“The lighted dance floor. The lines to get in. Dollar pitchers. Dine draft. And when ABC would show up they would flicker the lights. Everybody would put their drink down, that was underage. So, we would all run, scatter,” said the Halls.
Standing outside on the sidewalk with a continuous grin was Becky Tuttle of Richmond. She attended EKU in the late 80’s, early 90’s. Tuttle said bar inside was exactly the way she remembered it from 30 years ago.
“And I love that Richmond has this excitement again. I mean, we’ve been standing at the bottom of the hill most of the night, just talking to people that we haven’t seen in years. So many people are back in town. It’s just fantastic,” said Tuttle.
The one-night walk-through The Family Dog was scheduled to run from seven to ten. It concluded about 10:45 with close to 2000 people coming through. The bar closed in 2000. A Family Dog representative said it shut down for various reasons including taking care of family. Although there are no plans to re-open at this point, there is the hope that something similar can be done again.
Dog fans lining up
DJ Booth
Dog Dancing Floor area
Left to Right- Former Bar Bouncers including Delbert Brown and Lee Hatley-Paul Sherman former operator
