By Jennifer Jahn
NKyTribune staff writer
What began with an available building, an idea and a willingness to take a chance has become a gathering place for food, entertainment, golf, and community in Union.
The Fairway Room, owned and operated by father-and-son team Brian and Austin Haddox, was created with a simple goal: to give Northern Kentucky a place where people could enjoy good food and drinks while also having something fun to do.
“We knew from the beginning that we wanted to create something that offered a little bit of everything,” said Austin Haddox, co-owner of The Fairway Room. “Places that combine real entertainment with great food and drinks are few and far between in Northern Kentucky. We were tired of feeling like we had to cross the river into Cincinnati every time we wanted that kind of experience.”
At the same time, the Haddox family was watching Union and the surrounding area grow. They saw an opportunity to create something that would grow alongside the community.
“We decided to take a chance and build something we felt the community was missing,” Austin said.
More than golf
Although golf simulators are an important part of The Fairway Room, the Haddoxes never intended for the business to be defined solely by golf.
“The biggest thing was that we never wanted to be known as just a golf simulator business or just another bar and restaurant,” Austin said. “We wanted it to be a place for everyone.”
Visitors can come in to play golf, but they can also come for dinner, watch a game, listen to live music, celebrate a milestone, or simply meet friends for drinks.
“The golf simulators are a big part of what we do, but the bigger vision has always been entertainment and bringing people together,” Austin said.
That philosophy has also influenced the events offered at The Fairway Room. Paint-and-sip events, comedy shows, trivia nights, and other specialty events have become an increasingly important part of the business.
The response has confirmed something the Haddoxes suspected when they opened their doors: Northern Kentucky residents are looking for new experiences close to home.
“It [has] shown us that people in Northern Kentucky really are looking for different things to do,” Austin said. “It also reinforced what we originally believed: The Fairway Room doesn’t have to be one thing. We can constantly give people a new reason to come through the doors.”
Building it together
The Fairway Room is more than a business owned by a father and son. Much of the physical space was built by the two men themselves, along with family and friends.
Austin and his dad have developed different responsibilities based on their individual strengths.
Austin handles much of the operational side of the business, including staff, events, finances, marketing, and the overall direction of the business.
His dad is heavily involved with food, construction and maintenance, and the day-to-day work required to keep the business running.
But before they welcomed their first customers, they had to transform an empty space into The Fairway Room.
“Getting the doors open, without question,” Austin said when asked about the most difficult part of starting the business.
The family invested heavily in the project, hiring contractors for mechanical work while completing much of the remaining work themselves.
“We leveraged just about every penny we had and worked tirelessly for months to turn an empty space into what The Fairway Room is today,” Austin said.
Many of those days began with the father and son working their regular jobs before heading to the building to work late into the night.
Then came opening day.
The grand opening had been planned for New Year’s Eve, but the business still had not received final approval from the building department.
“We had put everything into getting to that day and didn’t even know if we were going to be allowed to open the doors,” Austin said.
At the last minute, the inspection was completed and The Fairway Room passed, leaving only a few hours before the planned opening.
“That is a day neither of us will ever forget,” Austin said.
A place for the community
For the Haddoxes, operating a business in Union isn’t simply about having a convenient location. They are from the area, and they view The Fairway Room as part of the community.
“We don’t look at Union as simply the place where our business happens to be located,” Austin said. “This is our community.”
That has led to partnerships with local families, businesses, and organizations.
The Fairway Room has worked with Ryle football families, hosted a Business After Hours event with the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, and partnered with neighboring business Pure Barre on pop-up events such as Pilates and brunch.
The businesses are continuing that partnership with the upcoming “Barre to Bar” event on Oct. 20.
The Fairway Room has also provided local musicians with an opportunity to perform and reach new audiences.
“When another local organization succeeds because of something we were able to do together, that means a lot to us,” Austin said.
The Haddoxes plan to expand those community connections with local vendor markets this fall, giving small businesses an opportunity to set up booths and showcase their products to The Fairway Room’s customers.
The business also hosts an annual charity golf event that raises money for local elementary schools.
Around Christmas, the Haddoxes are planning a clothing, food, and toy drive to help local families during the holidays.
“If we have the space and the ability to bring people together, we want to use that for something bigger than ourselves whenever we can,” Austin said.
Something new around the corner
For The Fairway Room, the goal is not to simply repeat the same events month after month.
The upcoming calendar includes local vendor markets, a trip to Keeneland racetrack, pumpkin carving in October, an ornament workshop during the winter and the Christmas donation drive, along with additional specialty events throughout the year.
“We’re constantly working on something new,” Austin said.
The approach reflects what the Haddoxes have learned since opening: people enjoy having experiences to anticipate.
“We’re learning that people enjoy having experiences to look forward to,” Austin said. “So our goal is to keep experimenting rather than running the exact same calendar every month.”
Looking ahead
Union’s rapid growth was one of the reasons the Haddoxes believed The Fairway Room could succeed in the first place.
The community is growing, but Austin believes entertainment options have not necessarily expanded at the same pace.
“We saw an opportunity to create something close to home for people who previously felt like they needed to drive into Cincinnati for a night out or a unique entertainment experience,” he said.
The goal is to become part of that growth.
“We want to grow alongside the community,” Austin said. “We want someone to be able to come here with their family for one event and then come back with friends for something completely different.”
Ultimately, Austin wants people to feel comfortable when they walk through the doors. For Austin, seeing people enjoy a place he and his dad physically built together is one of the most rewarding parts of the business.
“We put a tremendous amount of work into physically building this place ourselves, so seeing people laughing, eating, playing golf, and spending time together in something we created is incredibly rewarding,” he said.
And regardless of where the business goes, Austin said the experience of building it with his father will remain one of his proudest accomplishments.
“Regardless of where The Fairway Room ultimately takes us, my dad and I will always be able to look at this place and know that we built it together,” he said.
The long-term vision could eventually include additional Fairway Room locations, but Austin doesn’t want expansion to come at the expense of the community-centered identity that helped establish the original location.
“I don’t want it to simply mean opening more locations,” he said. “I want each Fairway Room to become part of the community it’s located in—working with local businesses, supporting local organizations, creating events and giving people a place to come together.”
For the Haddox family, success isn’t simply measured by the number of locations or customers.
“If we can grow the business while also helping strengthen the communities we’re in, I think that would be the ultimate measure of success for us,” Austin said.
The Fairway Room is located at 9196 US-42 Suite D, Union. Please visit their website for hours and events.