Phog Lounge celebrates 15 years of business

The downtown staple isn't old enough to drink, but it's reached a milestone most Windsor bars don't: 15 years of business.

Phog Lounge is celebrating with "Phifteen Years of Phog" Wednesday night.

Owner Tom Lucier said originally they thought it would be "sexy" to have a place with "cool jazz on the stereo and people sitting around drinking coffees."

"We thought our friends were going to come — and like none of them came. To this day they don't," said Lucier.

Lucier mostly credits "tons of luck" for how the downtown establishment has stayed open for the last decade and a half.

"Ultimately it's everybody who's been coming to this place and making it home," said Lucier. "We were adopted by a really open-minded, creative group of people who have just trusted us from day one."

The small size of Phog Lounge also helps keep the business profitable. The bar has a capacity of just 60 people, but is still somehow one of Windsor's top music venues.

"Keep saying yes to people — lets try it, if no one gets hurt, we'll try some weird shows or projects or art shows," said Lucier. "I think being open to everything means you attract several different groups of people. You have to have so much variety. You can't just do rock and roll."

Fifteen years has gone by "in a blink," said Lucier. 

"Because I've done 15 I could probably do 40 more," he said, also crediting his staff for the bar's success.

"I'm good to be there as long as people will keep coming."