Uncle Jimmy’s laid-back atmosphere transcends generation

For Mel Shears, a longtime Oakland resident and a self-described regular at Uncle Jimmy’s Tavern on Semple Street in Oakland, time spent at the bar is akin to a family reunion because of the atmosphere bar owner Mike Beatty promotes.

“I love him like a son,” Shears said.

While Shears and many of the bar’s other regulars admit that Uncle Jimmy’s is a “Pittsburgh bar, not a Pitt bar,” meaning that it doesn’t fit the traditional mold of a college pub, some Pitt students still choose to spend their evenings there to escape from the wild atmosphere that’s prevalent in other Oakland drinking establishments.

Katelin Webster, a nursing major, arrived at Uncle Jimmy’s on a Saturday night wearing a green shirt that matched those of her sorority sisters. The girls flocked to pool tables and began begging other patrons in the bar to take their picture, creating more noise than the remainder of the bar’s crowd combined.

Though this night was an obvious exception, Webster said she typically goes to Uncle Jimmy’s when she needs an escape from the often-raucous college nightlife.

“There [are] plenty of Pitt bars. I like something a little different,” she said.

But Webster isn’t the only Pitt student who occasionally stops by Uncle Jimmy’s for a drink. In fact, Will Satterwhite, who works as a bouncer at the bar, said about 30 Pitt students consider themselves regulars and often stop by late at night for drinks around closing time.

And though the bar’s drink specials are enticing, Satterwhite says it’s the crowd that brings people back.

“They come in here for a beer, and they stay for the personalities that hang out here,” he said. “And most of them tend to like it.”

Uncle Jimmy’s hours of operation also set it apart. Monday through Friday the bar is open from 11 a.m. until 2 a.m. — earlier than any other bar in the area. It has two pool tables, three video slot machines, two flat screen televisions and a jukebox that regularly plays a variety of music, from Bob Dylan to Lil Wayne. It’s generally uncrowded, and there are a number of tables available for groups who plan to visit the bar.

This laid-back atmosphere is exactly how Beatty likes it.

While he admitted that he’d like to attract more college students to the bar, he vows that he’ll uphold the laid-back atmosphere that his grandfather, James “Uncle Jimmy” Connors, promoted when he owned the establishment.

“I don’t want the club atmosphere. [Connors] never wanted the club atmosphere here. He wanted an all-around diverse crowd here — a real melting pot,” Beatty said.

According to Beatty, Connors was a lifelong Oakland resident who grew up on Parkview Avenue in South Oakland. He opened the bar in 1993, and Beatty took over the family business after Connors’ death from lung cancer in 2008.

But Beatty was already a veteran in the bar business by then. He began washing glasses at Uncle Jimmy’s when he was only 4 years old. On June 23, 2008, he became the official owner of Uncle Jimmy’s. His grandmother, Sue Connors, helped out around the bar before her death last year.

These days, his goal is maintaining and improving the foundation set by Connors.

“It still feels like he’s here because I try to keep it as close or the same while adding new ideas,” Beatty said.

Running a bar isn’t always as entertaining as it might seem, according to Beatty. Because of his grandfather’s legacy, the regulars have certain expectations. Beatty often finds it difficult to remain silent when facing a constant barrage of recommendations for the bar’s improvement.

Customers even overreact if he forgets to perform a daily task, which can be frustrating because of the large number of responsibilities he has on any given day.

But, in sticking to what Connors taught him, Beatty said he knows it’s impossible to please everyone, so he instead focuses on maintaining a positive environment at the bar on a day-to-day basis.

“It’s always good to fly straight and be level instead of trying to hit a home run,” he said,

Shears said this classic business model is a winner.

“He’s not gonna fail,” he said.