Art:Omaha ClayWorks

Faces:Jay WelterDemetri Fountas

Gondo Life:Nouvelle Eve's Kat Moser

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Fountas

Grooian t\ights:L-ou r-rg ing with Dclnotri fou r-rtasby Heather C. Akerberg I photography by Bill Sitzmann

I n ancient Greek t imes, hospi ta l i ty was such a valued qual i ty that i t of ten appears as

I a prominent theme in Greek myths. The story of Nestor and Telemachus teaches i ts

I readers to t reat strangers in the same manner as they would fami ly members. Dem-

etr i Fountas, a nat ive of Greece and co-owner of Bar 415, is a consummate host. " l t reat

everyone the same, no matter if i t 's my

brother, my partner or my gir l f r iend. They

wi l l a l l get the same treatment," Fountas

says. His welcoming smi le and personable

treatment ofeach guest have contr ibuted

to the club's longevity-it just celebrated

its fifth anniversary.

Bar 415, located at 415 South 13th Street,

is known for its intimate atmosphere and

an unwearied mix of e lectronic music

provided by l ive DJs at least four nights a

week. The club also hosts themed nights, such as the monthly Flashback, as wel l as nat ion-

ally touring DJs and private parties. A booming sound system, friendly staff and premium

drinks at reasonable prices wil l help to ensure that Bar 415 is around for another five years.

Even at 33 years old, Demetri understands that a portion of his success is due to being in

W november/december'007 | l t lc dn(,runtr- . f

departrnentq

the right place at the right t ime. Bar 415

or ig inal ly opened in 1999. Fountas, who

had been working for his cousin at Katie's

Restaurant for nearly six years, was ready

for a change when the club's previous

owner approached him about taking over

the business. After forming a partnership

with his brother, Vassil i Fountas, and a

friend, Dimitrios Mavropoulos, the deal

was complete, and the three took over the

club in 2002.

Given the success of their f irst endeavor,

Demetri and his partners have recently

decided to branch out. Less than a month

ago, the three opened a new nightclub

in downtown Council Bluffs called Nyx,

which means "goddess of the night" in

Greek. The club occupies the space at 144

West Broadway, which used to operate as

Bada Bing. Nyx offers a selection of elec-

tronic music s imi lar to that heard at Bar

415. However. Demetri also has another

venue in the works that wil l offer Top 40

and Alternative music to its patrons: Zo-

diac, a larger c lub that wi l l feature an in-

door waterfal l , a VIP area and possibly l ive

bands dur ing the summer months, wi l l be

opening soon in the Old Market area.

Originally from Athens, Fountas moved

to Omaha nearly 14 years ago. Having

come here to attend college and play

soccer, relatives in the city offered a built-

in support system and a job at a fami ly-

owned restaurant. After college, he

continued to work at Katie's Restaurant

and spent some t ime as the

varsity boys'soccer coach at

North High School .

Demetri 's Greek roots are ap-

parent from his interests. You'l l

sti l l f ind him on the soccer field

one or two days a week partici-

pating in an open league, (where

his team is currently undefeated),

and the choice to feature elec-

tronic music in the c lub is an

homage to his homeland. "l want to keep

the music style here [in the club] l ive," says

Fountas. "l come from a country where

electronic music is everything." m

EIt1

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tl'1,: r:rrr-:riLrnil; r I november/december 2007