Brown’s Bar owners see niche for their relaxed watering hole

When bartender and former UAB soccer player Frankie Brown opened his own watering hole, Brown’s Bar, in Lakeview in March, he and Tiffany Anderson — his fiancée and co-owner — believed they had found their ideal location.

“We already enjoyed hanging out, eating and drinking [in Lakeview], so we thought, ‘Why not open a business there?’” Brown said.

And the couple believes their friendly, unpretentious neighborhood bar on 29th Street can make a home for itself in the booming Lakeview entertainment district.

They even think that Brown’s — small and quiet, without the noise and crowds found in some bars — can carve out its own niche in the area

“We didn’t feel like this was anything like this vibe down here,” Brown said.

“It’s a place where you can come chill out and relax and have a good time,” Anderson said.

The bar also may be the best place in Lakeview to watch a game on TV without a lot of noise and distractions, according to Brown.

“I’m a huge soccer fan, and we’re both huge sports fans in general,” he said.

Brown, a native of Preston, England, has lived in Birmingham since 2007 and worked at Blue Monkey Lounge for six years.

He wanted to open a “community bar” where “the bartender’s your best friend,” Anderson said, who was born in Hawaii and was formerly a yoga instructor. 

Two customers sitting at tables outside Brown’s on a Friday afternoon — Shyrl Pitts and Nicole McAnnally — said they liked the bar’s atmosphere.

“I really like these people,” Pitts said, who mentioned she had visited Brown’s before. “They remember who you are when you come in. They remember what you drink.”

“It’s been great,” McAnnally said during her first visit. “You’d be surprised at a bar how much friendliness and people remembering you goes a long way.”

Brown said he had been a little nervous about starting his own business, citing a lack of  “a consistent source of income” as his main concern.

“But it’s worth it,” Anderson said, referring to the risk the couple took in giving up their old gigs. 

They are also enjoying being their own bosses.

“It’s freedom,” Brown said. ”We can do whatever we want — put something funny on the board outside or have a different theme night.”

And Anderson had another motivation. 

“To me it was the excitement of watching (Brown) do what he does best,” she said, referring to his ability to make a good drink and also make his patrons feel right at home.