Robert and Chuck with C & C Lounge Joins

**Jason Hammer** (0:00)
Hammer and Nigel.

**Jason Hammer** (0:01)
Can you believe these characters?

**Jason Hammer** (0:02)
They're weirdos. My name is Nigel, Jason Hammer is here, we are on the road.

**Nigel** (0:11)
Hammer and Nigel Roadshow Live, C&C Lounge in Greenwood on Main Street, premium cocktails, cigars and more. We are living the dream with a cigar in one hand and a beverage in the other. My name is Nigel, Jason Hammer is here. Also joining us live from C & C Lounge, Robert and Chuck. Guys, how are you doing? Thanks for having us out today.

**Robert** (0:31)
Thanks for coming, man. It's been great.

**Nigel** (0:32)
What do you think? I mean, look at this crowd, huh? Give yourselves another round of applause, everybody.

**Jason Hammer** (0:39)
Let's see how engaged they are.

**Jason Hammer** (0:41)
All right.

**Jason Hammer** (0:42)
Repeat after me.

**Jason Hammer** (0:43)
Dale! Dale!

**Jason Hammer** (0:51)
Nigel sucks!

**Jason Hammer** (0:55)
Here we go!

**Jason Hammer** (0:58)
I think I heard a Nigel for president come out of the background there.
Robert, we'll start with you. Tell us all about this joint we're at today, C & C Lounge.

**Robert** (1:07)
Well, it is a premium bourbon and cigar lounge. We've operated it since April, beginning of April. It's been here for about a year and a half, but we have got a lot of improvements that we've been trying to add, some different seating, new offerings as far as food and additional bourbon offerings, new cabinets for additional bourbon. We're just really trying to add to the experience. We want people to feel super welcome when they walk in the door, so we're not a real stuffy place to walk into.
It's just a very, very nice, comfortable place. You can come, you can get engaging conversation with people, you can meet super friendly people, have a great cigar, have a great glass of bourbon. It's just a great time.

**Jason Hammer** (1:46)
You talk about the people, that's what I've noticed. We've brought some of our friends, right? Like we've got Ethan here, we got Alvy, we got Dale here, all of our friends and the regulars that you've got here, they're all drinking shots together. They're hanging out.

**Robert** (2:00)
They do. They really, it's a great group of people and we've been adding new people. I mean, we've only had it since April, but we add new people every day come in the door and once you get them in the door, they really enjoy the experience.

**Nigel** (2:15)
Chuck, tell me about acquiring this location in your guys' vision for C & C Lounge.

**Chuck** (2:20)
Yeah, of course. So I actually ran this location for the previous owner and his Bargersville location and Robert was a locker member. And that's how we met. We got to talking and our conversation led to, boy, it'd be great if we owned this place. And so we worked it out and eventually bought the place.

**Jason Hammer** (2:38)
So everybody has those dreams, right? Like when we're all drinking with our buddies, you know what? We should buy this bar. Or we're driving to Florida and then like two beers later, somebody passes out and nothing happens.
You guys actually did it.

**Chuck** (2:53)
We pulled the trigger. We're trying to live the dream. I love this place.

**Nigel** (2:56)
Robert, what kind of experience? I mean, obviously you have to know what you're doing to make something like this work.

**Robert** (3:02)
Well, technically speaking, no, you don't know.

**Jason Hammer** (3:07)
I actually- Even better, Hammer, let's buy this place.

**Jason Hammer** (3:10)
We're qualified, Nigel.

**Robert** (3:12)
You are absolutely. Now, I actually have, I've owned an IT business for 30 years. I've done real estate for 25 years, so I've owned real estate and real estate businesses for 25 years. This was just a completely new venture. So my experience is actually sitting to the left of me. So I brought him into the equation because I needed somebody who knew how to operate a bar.
But I've had other businesses that have operated, so I bring the business approach to it. He brings the bar experience and together we work.

**Nigel** (3:41)
I think it's fascinating how long you've been doing this, Chuck. I mean like total, I mean not just here at this location.

**Chuck** (3:47)
I've been in the service industry off and on for 30 years. I used to have a restaurant in Brownsburg back in the day.
What was it called? It was Rhapsody Global Tapas. Yeah, we lasted not very long. We were right down from Boulder Creek, I think it was. Yeah, so it was a lot of fun. It was great, but I got a lot of experience, a lot of ideas and how to bring this place into what it is now. And we're still working and still making it great.