WILMINGTON — A boost of nostalgia blended with art deco design welcomes patrons to the chic Cinch Billiards. From the owners of the craft cocktail lounge Underfront, the new bar opened in a 100-year-old building in downtown Wilmington over the weekend.
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Roughly 800 people came through Friday and Saturday, according to Joseph Sena, who opened the business with Haylea Aaron. Aaron is “a driving force” of keeping everything moving forward in the day-to-day operations. The two met when Sena operated Rum Cow, before selling it to renovate and open Underfront. Aaron was a manager at both establishments.
“I lug hammers and do math — those are my strong suits,” Sena said. “But Haylea will be running things at the bar daily for the most part.”
A builder with a love for historic spaces, Sena has been working on Cinch for six months. He learned of its availability when A Christmas Shoppe decided to relocate to a strip mall on 16th and Market streets. Within a week or so after the owner, Debby Woody, received the keys to her new space, she passed away of a heart attack. As reported by WECT, the shop remains open in the new location in her memory, as run by her son, Johnathon Henderson.
“I guess she probably wanted to downsize,” Sena surmised. “The downtown location is just a really large spot.”
When Sena walked into 115 N. Front St., he said he was surprised to find it consisted of 5,000 square feet. A Christmas Shoppe only used a small portion and there were numerous superficial walls covering the aged brick original to the building. Sena knocked them down, first and foremost.
“It was beautiful,” he said. “My thing is taking older buildings and rehabbing them. I just like the way they’re made — not pre-fabricated, but instead have cool architectural elements. This building is no exception.”
He treated and sealed the exposed brick, handlaid in the 1920s and ‘30s, and refinished the hardwood floors installed in the mid-20th century. The 14-foot ceilings include an arc, giving off “Amish barn” vibes, according to Sena.
A 45-foot handmade bar is the centerpiece of Cinch, with TVs showcasing the latest games, a selection of arcade games in one nook — including Pac Man, pin ball and claw machines, as well as bowling games — and four pool tables welcoming players.
Wanting “tournament-quality tables,” there are two 7-foot Olhausens and two 9-foot Gold Crowns.
Sena has loved the game since he was 12 — “so the greater part of 32 years now” — and wanted billiards at the center of decor as well. Movie posters are framed throughout, such as one featuring Paul Newman and Tom Cruise in “The Color of Money” and the Rat Pack racking up in Las Vegas during the making of “Oceans 11.”
Also a carpenter, Sena created abstract art out of old pool sticks: one resembles an oversized dream catcher, with the pool sticks hanging from a piece of black limba wood — often used to make guitars or fiddles. Another piece is of a large matchbook, backlit with a red light illuminating the tips of the pool sticks. Local artist Brooke Rowe helped him with painting custom art on the front, featuring a lighthouse and line art waves, with Cinch Bar and Billiards scribed across it.
Elsewhere in the space are varied lounge areas, so patrons can mingle without hearing the clanking of the eight ball being sunk or the cheering of fans over a Sunday or Monday night football game. Sena said the goal was to give five areas of the bar their “own identities” and attract varied patrons.
“I tried to focus on making it a multi-dimensional space that had more appeal than just a destination for cocktails or a destination for pool or a lounge,” he explained. “I like a casual vibe that can also double as a date night.”
There are multiple seating areas featuring leather chairs, couches and handmade wooden tables. Dark and light wood blends with a gray, gold and black color palette keeping the space cozy. Geometric art deco shapes can be seen in accented light fixtures, the patterns of chairs, or in a large mural featuring a snake with gold and black diamond-like pattern on its skin.
A row of plush benches align a wall facing floor-to-ceiling windows so patrons can watch passersby shuffling along Front Street. At the back of the bar is patio seating with expansive views of the Cape Fear River, which illuminates to new heights at sunset.
A specialty cocktail menu highlights some fanciful sippers Sena and company have become known for at Underfront. However, he said the goal is to make Cinch more accessible, so there are plenty of expected spirited classics, beer and wine.
“Because things should be easy,” Sena said, adding it’s why he and his business partner, Aaron, went with the name in the first place. “Everyone can find a spot they’re comfortable in. You just come in, have a good time.”
Hours are Monday through Friday, opening daily 4:30 p.m., except on Saturday and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. The bar closes at 11 p.m. weeknights, at 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 10 p.m. on Sunday. The group will be bringing in a DJ on some nights as well, starting New Year’s Eve.
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