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
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