Section 13 is newest addition to downtown Cheney

There are new faces in Cheney's so-called "Barmuda Triangle" with some notable local roots.

The husband and wife team of Matt and Tracy Showalter recently swung open the door of Section 13, best known in its former life as Goofy's, but most recently, and very briefly, under the name, Asylum.

The bar's name pays homage to some of the earliest days in Cheney's history. According to Joan Mamanakis of the Cheney Historical Museum, Section 13 was the township and range designation on the map. 

What made the couple decide to jump into the bar business? "It's all him," Tracy Showalter motioned across the table to husband Matt.

"We were not looking to buy a bar at the time," Matt Showalter said. The situation was right because a significant investment had already been done by the previous owner, Julius Tepp, who closed the business around Christmas.

The Showalters just finished what was started and also found their manager, Jacqueline Whelham at the right time, Matt Showalter said. The soft opening was May 5.

Whelham brings a variety of experience including work at Northern Quest Resort and Casino, small bars and clubs. She's developed daily specials, one of them being on Tuesdays, which are known as "Armed Forces, We Salute You," day. Section 13 provides discounts for members of the military.

If the Showalter name might ring very familiar in Cheney, there is just a distant connection Matt said with Tom Showalter from "Showies" - now Eagle's Pub. "My folks are David and Diane," Matt Showalter said.

The couple came back home to Cheney after spending nearly 20 years in Colorado where Matt was in the software development business. He's one of the founders of a company called Swiftpage, a contact management product.

A petroleum engineer by degree, Matt Showalter, a Cheney High grad class of 1991, is not only kept busy in the bar business, but is developing yet another software product. "That's my full-time job, we've been tag teaming the approach here (at the bar)," Matt Showalter said.

"Family and small-town atmosphere," Matt Showalter said were the reasons for returning to his roots. "The kids were getting to that middle school age so if we were going to do it, we better do it now."

Tracy Showalter worked in the bar and grill business early but then turned in that job to become a stay-at-home mom.

The Showalters call owners of the neighboring Wild Bill's Longbar - Greg Hubbard and Charlie Witte - friends. "We play off of each other. Their philosophy is if we're doing well that benefits them," Matt Showalter said.

"These guys gave us a lot of motivation, they've done such a good job over there," Matt Showalter said. "There's been a revitalization taking place in the core; as a longtime Cheney kid I like to see downtown be popular."

Section 13's focus is being a sports bar and serving food, and the establishment currently offers a larger selection, Tracy Showalter said. "We have a pretty good menu for a small capacity kitchen."

Wings are Section 13's signature offering. "Wings is what Matt always wanted to do," Tracy said. Liquor laws, however, require having eight entrees so the menu will also include panini sandwiches, salads and more.

The big thing about Cheney is making the locals feel at home, specifically in the afternoons, but then flip the switch and cater to the college crowd. "The locals hours are somewhat different than the college hours," Matt Showalter said. "We want to cater to them both."

The look is significantly different than what patrons might have seen with the previous owners. The Showalters changed lighting, added new tables and made a lot of what they call "cosmetic changes," Tracy Showalter said.

"When we bought the place we said, 'What do we name it?" Matt Showalter said. "There was certainly pressure to keep it Goofy's, or the Pastime before that."

But when they researched Goofy's on Yelp, the reviews were not positive. "I didn't want to inherit that," Matt Showalter said. "We wanted to create our own reputation."

Part of the past still resides in Section 13. "We took the old Goofy's sign down and put it in the back," Matt Showalter said.

Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].