Right now, Filer is also in the process of renovating the old Chehalis Theater into a fine dining establishment that will show movies, plays and other performances, which is taking up his time in the immediate future. “There’s a lot of people that, I imagine, look down their noses a little bit at this place, but for the people that come here, and the people who are regulars here, this is their home,” Filer added.

It’s pretty sad, but that’s the business.” I’ve seen a lot of people come through these doors over the years. I don’t know what the rest of the community thinks - it’s probably like a blight on the community as far as (they’re concerned). “I carry that in my other restaurant, and I’ll continue to carry that torch here in Centralia as well.”įrancis said the place means a lot to the regulars. “(People) need a place to feel safe and a place to call home, whether it’s their orientation, gender or race, we welcome everybody,” Filer said. The ultimate goal, Filer said, is to continue The Hub’s tradition of welcoming all people. Since I was 24, 25 years old, I wanted to own this place and carry on the legacy.” “It’s always been my dream to own this place. “I told Jim, ‘Hey, when you’re ready to be done, when you’re ready to bow out, let me know and we’ll figure out a price and I’ll take over,’” Filer said. Not long after he started slinging pizzas for Curly Francis, Filer became the night manager for the bar, which edged its way into the then young adult’s heart. I used to do my homework at the table back there and eat French fries after school.” “I mean, my mom started working here when I was 10 or 11 years old. “The Francis family has been part of my family since I was little,” Filer said. My mom’s been an employee of the Francis family for 27 years as of last night.”įiler’s involvement with The Hub stems back further than his early adulthood. My mom had worked here for 12 or 13 years before I started. “Six days after my 21st birthday, I came to work here. “I worked here for 14 years,” Filer told The Chronicle from inside the Hub on Tuesday. Tim Filer, who will be taking over the ownership of The Hub, is currently the owner of McFiler’s, a bar and restaurant in Chehalis. So we had a lot of fun here,” he said, adding later: “And now the time has come to pass the torch. “I worked with him for a long time, which is nice, because you don’t get to work with your father in a bar, usually. The Hub has been in the Francis family for 35 years, with Francis taking over the business in 2008 from his father, Forest Elston “Curly” Francis, who died in 2012. It will likely be closed through at least the end of the year. The Hub closed its doors for an impending remodel Feb.

By Daniel Warn / been a “Hub” bar on the 100 block of Tower Avenue in Centralia for over 90 years, and now The Hub Bar & Grill owner James “Jim” Francis, 66, is selling the mainstay to one of his former bartenders.

Bartender 2 dream