RICHMOND, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — A Richmond watering hole that served generations of Eastern Kentucky University students is getting a new life more than two decades after its original run ended.
The Family Dog first opened as "Speck's" in 1967 and remained a Richmond fixture until closing in 2000. The bar opened its doors again for EKU Homecoming in 2022, but now, "The Dog" is welcoming customers back once again.
For some, walking inside is a trip down memory lane. For others, it's their first chance to experience a place they've only heard stories about.
Much of the bar's history is still on display. Old photographs remain on the walls, offering a glimpse of the people and memories that filled the place decades ago.
Leslie Bussell is one of the patrons who remembers The Family Dog from its original run.
"It's been amazing. It's been wonderful," Bussell said. "I've seen a lot of people that I know, a lot of older customers, and it's been great."
But those longtime customers are now sharing the bar with a much younger crowd.
EKU students Ella Stumbo and Ella Travis weren't around for The Family Dog's first chapter, but they're getting a chance to experience its return.
"It's been awesome. This is really cool overall, just the vibe," Stumbo said.
"The vibes are high and the drinks are great. Ten out of 10. It's been great," Travis added.
One of the people behind the reopening also has a personal connection to the bar. General Manager Jack Van Winkle made memories at The Family Dog long before he helped bring it back.
More than two decades after the end of its original run, reminders of the bar's past remain throughout the building. The old photographs lining the walls now look out over a new generation of customers making memories of their own.
For longtime patrons, it's a chance to revisit a familiar place. For younger customers, it's a chance to discover it for the first time.
The pictures on the walls tell the stories of The Family Dog's past. Now, a new generation is giving "The Dog" a few more stories to tell.
