BARRE — A Montpelier man, who recalled once needing to stand on a milk crate in order to play pool with his grandfather, just ran the table — securing the development review board’s approval of his plans to make billiards and other “analog games” a big deal in downtown Barre.
Seiji Ohashi and his wife, Jessica, aren’t ready to “rack ’em up” just yet, but with the review board’s blessing in hand the couple has a clean shot at launching a hobby-meets-business-venture enterprise that will satisfy a “dream,” fill a vacant storefront, cater to an unmet need, and, they hope, become something of a regional draw.
That’s the plan Ohashi and his wife pitched to receptive members of the review board, who discussed the proposal in deliberative session following a brief Thursday night hearing and then approved it.
Though the comprehensive application spoke for itself, Ohashi gave voice to his vision of creating a game room and bar in a portion of the vacant space that sits between the Kitty Korner Café and a long-dormant diner.
“Our idea is … to sort of become the living room for Barre and be a clean and welcoming place for people to come,” said Ohashi, who could have added the words “and play” because that, he explained, is the point of “The Eddy.”
Though his middle name is “Eduardo” and there are some “Edwards” in his wife’s family, Ohashi explained after the hearing the name is really “a play on words” that would resonate with kayakers.
“It’s something you can get stuck in like a whirlpool,” he said.
Or a pool hall? That, too.
Billiards will be boss at The Eddy, where Ohashi, an avid player, is planning to have three pool tables — two 7-footers and a 9-footer — that will be well-maintained and well-lit in an establishment he believes will be a “de facto destination” for pool players within a 50-mile radius.
Ohashi, an information technology specialist and fill-in bartender at Charlie-O’s in Montpelier, is one of them and knows there is a small but dedicated cohort of players in central Vermont and that it isn’t unusual to travel an hour to play in a tournament.
There will be tournaments at The Eddy, and while billiards is Ohashi’s personal passion, it won’t be all about pool.
Plans include a shuffleboard table and comfortable space to play a variety of other tabletop games that will be stocked and available for patrons to play for free.
“We want to promote Scrabble tournaments, chess tournaments and really promote friendly competition without being plugged in,” Ohashi said, expressing interest in joining a downtown he believes is on the rebound and potentially partnering with existing businesses, like Pearl Street Pizza, in the future.
Ohashi said his wife, an industrial designer, will take the lead in transforming roughly 2,700 square feet of blank space into a “slightly upscale, but not too fancy” venue, that will include a mix of wood and granite and a 70-foot-long mural. The couple plans to collaborate with artist Tessa O’Brien on the latter, which will be a focal point in what Jessica Ohashi said would be a unique establishment.
“We’re trying to offer something that’s different than what’s already here,” she said, suggesting there would be one television set for “major games and events,” The Eddy would cater to a clientele for whom screen time isn’t a priority.
“We’re not a sports bar,” she said.
The Ohashis are looking to create a comfortable venue where folks can come and enjoy a drink and wind down after work, possibly rent for special occasions, and always play good, old-fashioned games with family, friends or new acquaintances.
Seiji Ohashi said the review board’s approval was the last major hurdle, and while he’s aiming for an Oct. 1 opening, that isn’t a hard date.
Unless something goes sideways, the space should be ready by fall, ending the couple’s three-year search for a suitable location. It’s one Seiji Ohashi said started in Montpelier before hitting an unexpected snag. The search shifted to Barre and ended at the vacant building Peter Colman and Thomas Lauzon bought last year.
The Eddy will fill half of the currently vacant space — occupying the portion of the building closest to the diner.
