Women in Charge

The brick building at the corner at 1000 Powell St, on Henderson’s east side, was originally built in the 1800s and used as a saloon.  During that time, before paved streets and sidewalks, customers would ride their horses, tie up their transportation of the day on the posts alongside the building and go inside for a cold one.  In 1940, the business was purchased by John and Elizabeth Metzger and converted into a grocery store and pharmacy called “Metzger’s Market.”  During this time, the east end of Henderson was bustling with businesses, most of which were embedded in residential neighborhoods, making it within walking distance of the residents.  Metzger’s Market was a staple of the era.

“This is where the story gets really cool, in my opinion,” says Metzger’s Tavern’s general manager, Sarah Stewart.  “It was a saloon during pre-prohibition.  Once prohibition hit they turned it into a grocery store and pharmacy.  They were pushing Kentucky Moonshine out the back door in the medicine bottles.”  John and Elizabeth’s sons, Joe and Don, were away serving in World War II.  When the war ended and the sons returned home to Henderson, the times had changed.  Larger, corporate grocery stores had come into the area, making it difficult for the small local market to thrive.  The competition meant the family needed to make some changes to maintain profitability of their business, so they decided to convert the market back into a tavern, this time incorporating food to be sold with the alcohol.  Women were originally allowed to enter the building when it was a grocery store, but were never allowed in the back of the building where the alcohol was served.  “Once they decided to phase out the grocery store,” Sarah explained, “they moved the bar forward in the building and pushed the women out of the building all together.”  There was never a written law banning women from entering the establishment; however, culture was that they were not welcomed.  The women, not wanting to be where they weren’t welcomed, didn’t protest and accepted that Metzger’s Tavern was for men only.

But times, they were changing, and roughly 30 years later Joe decided it was unfair that his daughters couldn’t work at the family business while his brother’s sons could.  During this time, his wife was still baking the hams at home and bringing them to the tavern, but had to wait at her car for someone to come get them and bring them inside for her.  Women were becoming more progressive and no longer choosing to stay at home and raise children; rather they were, in increasingly growing numbers, entering the work force.  Their voices were becoming heard.  Women wanted to come in the tavern with their friends and co-workers and have a beer and a bowl of soup after work, just like the men had done for decades before.  Finally, in 1994, the ladies’ voices in this community could no longer be ignored and Metzger’s Tavern began openly welcoming women.  Despite the tavern’s modification, a women’s bathroom was not installed until 2005.

Metzger’s Tavern reopened under new owner, Moriah Hobgood, on February 1 of this year.  “I’ve had a few people tell me how inspiring it is for their daughters to witness this change.  It’s another piece of Metzger’s history,” boasts Sarah, the first ever female general manager.  “For over 100 years this has been ran and operated by men.  For it to be 2018, and to see this tavern owned and operated by women is a great honor.”

Moriah and Sarah are both dedicated to preserving the history of this business while also making it a place that is welcoming for everyone in the community to enjoy.  During the renovation of the building, the ladies came across relics of the early days.  Among the “treasures,” as Sarah calls them, was the wooden cash register box from the original Metzger’s Market.  “We opened it up and found Don’s Navy bracelet and the original bank books.  It also had an electric bill and a water bill from 1953 inside.  They were for about $2.”

“The original menu, when Don and Joe ran it, was very simple.  It was bean soup, chili, dip dogs and hamburger with pickle and onion,” says Sarah.  “What we have done is take the bones of the building and the rich history of it and shined it up.”  The menu still features the original favorites, but also has grown to include more diverse options so that there is something for everyone.  “We don’t want to be fancy, we just want to be good,” Sarah says proudly.

For more about the history of Metzger’s Tavern, hours of operation and to view the full menu, please visit them online at metgerstavernky.com.