by Tim Brechlin

There's a building on Main Street that is home to a lot of memories for the 365 family. For a long time, it was a popular Thursday night hangout for Dubuque Jaycees. It's one of the places where 365ink publisher Bryce got to know his lovely bride-to-be. Many of us have fond memories of seeing 365 writer Mike Ironside's band, ochOsol, play there. 253 Main Street, formerly known as Bartini's, has been without a doubt a favorite nightlife establishment.

However, while the business known as Bartini's has closed, the building (and the bar) is still alive and well and is now home to a brand-new enterprise -- The Hub. From the looks of things, it's going to be moving on full-speed ahead.

The business, which opened on May 2, is the result of the joint effort of owners Jo Jo Roling and Ann Cunningham.

Cunningham and Roling come to The Hub with long careers in the hospitality and food and beverage industries. Cunningham had a long tenure at Lacoma Golf Club in East Dubuque, and after that she was one of the founding partners of Courtside Sports Bar & Grill, leaving in November of 2007. Roling describes herself as a "career bartender," spending thirteen years slinging drinks behind bars at a wide variety of establishments, including the Five Flags Holiday Inn, the Captain Merry, Paul's, the A&B Tap and many, many more.

The pair looked at a number of different locations for establishing their new venture, but from the start they knew where they wanted to be.

"Right from day one we really wanted to be downtown," says Cunningham. "It's where everything's happening."

The location at 253 Main Street turned out to be a perfect fit after meeting with Bartini's owners Mike and Deb Felderman; a purchase price was agreed upon around the end of March and the deal was struck.

While the old Bartini's sign is no more, and the interior has received some changes -- gone are the columns in the back and the mirrors on the walls (although John F. Kennedy is still there!), while new are humorous signs plastered all over the walls, a jukebox and a pool table, The Hub still promises to offer a fantastic nightlife experience to Main Street bargoers, especially those with fond memories of the prior establishment.

"There was a perception, I think, that it was too expensive to drink at Bartini's, but I don't feel that to be true -- the Bartini's prices were in line with other Main Street bars," says Cunningham. "What we're going for here is for everyone to feel comfortable, to enjoy drinks at an affordable price range, and stay for five or six beers."

Included in The Hub's offerings are specialty drinks and house shots, all of which have secret recipes that we promised would never see print in these pages. No, you have to go there and try them for yourself -- and does that really sound like such a bad idea?

The Hub will also feature musical entertainment, though, the owners noted, perhaps not quite as often as Bartini's did. Laura McDonald, recently featured in our recent series about the roots of the Tri-State music scene, performed at The Hub for the bar's opening weekend, and Tri-State favorites Zero 2 Sixty and Betty & the Headlights will be performing in the future. At this point, visitors can expect entertainment, be it a band, a DJ or karaoke, almost every Saturday night.

"I've always been a music person," says Roling, who spent time performing in a Rockford-area band. "Live entertainment is an essential part of weekend nightlife at a bar, and we plan on making sure crowds are entertained."

It's all part of the pair's philosophy for the bar, which Roling describes, simply, as "come in anyway you are and have a good time." They are continuing the past association with the next-door Café Manna Java and offering the bistro's food selections; also, in assuming ownership of the location, they also retained prior Bartini's employees.

"We don't want to turn away people who loved coming to Bartini's, obviously," says Cunningham. "When people come in and see familiar staff behind the bar, that makes them think, 'Okay, this place hasn't changed that much" ... we're trying to keep the old clientele and also bring in a new audience, as well."

And so far, results have been solid.

"We've heard nothing but positive comments so far," says Roling. "We're excited to be part of downtown and Lower Main, and we can't wait for the renovations of the Julien Inn across the street to be completed. We want people to come in and have a good time. That's what we're about."

The doors are open, the drinks are flowing and the atmosphere is inviting. Check it out post-haste.

The Hub is open Monday through Saturday, from 5 p.m. - midnight Monday - Thursday, and 5 p.m. - 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The Hub has a strict "no one under 21" policy. For more information, call 563-556-5782.