Pub’s manager heads to Rocktown

By Kelly Fisher, senior writer 
Posted on November 8, 2007

Harrisonburg’s nightlife is in for a big change.

Chuck Troutman left his position as general manager of The Pub yesterday and will take over as general manager for Rocktown Grill, effective tomorrow.

“Anyone who is familiar with the bar scene here knows this will send shock waves through it,” Troutman said.

Troutman and Ike Coe, owner of Rocktown, met on-and-off over the past year. Recently they sat down and decided it was time they teamed up at Rocktown.

“We talked about live music and how it’s not really appreciated by JMU people,” Coe said. “We talked about how to get them more involved, just because it’s a good life lesson to hear good music.”

According to Coe, Troutman knows the right stuff when it comes to navigating the college music scene in Harrisonburg.

Troutman took The Pub from being mainly a hangout to a student hotspot during the week.

“I came here five years ago, when [The Pub] was on the verge of bankruptcy and it just wasn’t very student-oriented,” he said. “I put a lot of work into turning it around.”

Since then, The Pub gained a student following with its College Band Nights, which feature JMU and other local bands for 18-years-and-up shows.

Its main competitor, Rocktown Grill, has a strong Thursday night following for its own College Night, which has been a staple in many JMU students’ party schedule for the past several years. As Rocktown’s new head of marketing, Troutman doesn’t plan on changing that.

“I’m not going to change anything that already works, i.e. Thursday nights,” he said. “But what I am going to do is optimize the music aspect. I want to make Rocktown a place people go to more than one night a week.”

Another thing Troutman hopes to bring Rocktown: karaoke, which is a big draw for students and locals alike at The Pub during the week. However, Troutman is still in the developing stage with Rocktown.

“Right now, I’ve just been establishing a marketing plan and creating a visualization of upcoming events,” he said.

Coe hopes Troutman’s expertise both in running a restaurant and booking bands will bring more people to Rocktown during the week.

“We have a great venue,” Coe said. “But we’re under-utilized.”

As for Troutman’s replacement, The Pub is still looking for someone to takeover.

“I’m leaving a great job opportunity,” Troutman said. “They tried really hard to talk me into staying, but I need to rejuvenate my creativity. I needed a challenge. Basically, I’ve taken this place as far as I can take it.”

Some believe that Troutman’s move from The Pub to Rocktown may create bad blood between the establishments, but Troutman remains optimistic.

“Tensions have always been there,” he said. “If anything, I think it will relieve the tension.”