Uncle Bently's Pub acquired by Georgia Mac’s owners

Uncle Bently's Pub and Lounge, which has been in operation for nearly five decades, has changed ownership.

Jennifer Barr said she and husband Darryl closed Aug. 4 on the purchase of Uncle Bently's from Jack Horton for undisclosed terms. The Barrs also own Georgia Mac’s restaurant, which they debuted in 2018 at 1440 E. Republic Road. 

Uncle Bently's, located at 4123 S. National Ave., just south of James River Freeway, is keeping its name through the ownership change, Jennifer Barr said. She noted the pub currently has five employees, with three more expected to come back soon into the rotation.

"I feel like it's been a staple for the Springfield area,” Barr said. “It's been around for 47 years now. It's one of the few bars we can say is still here with the original name. That was a big thing that me and my husband, Darryl, wanted to do was preserve the name and keep it Uncle Bently's."

Barr said the roughly 5,000-square-foot building housing Uncle Bently's also was included in the purchase.

At Uncle Bently's, Barr said the owners plan to introduce a new happy hour and daily drink specials, along with food in the future that would be distinct from Georgia Mac’s.

"Within the next year or so, we would like to open a kitchen here," she said, noting a kitchen would need to be constructed in the building.

She said the Barrs had been looking for a new concept in addition to Georgia Mac’s, and they met Horton at a social event. They learned he wanted to retire and arranged a purchase of the business from there.