“My dad used to bring me here when I was a little girl, which is the reason that I bought it. It was kind of a sentimental thing,” said Coffey, who had never owned a business before purchasing the Elbo Room about 10½ years ago.
The Elbo Room got its name, a variation of the phrase “elbow room,” courtesy of the mother of the original owner, George Brockman. He converted the Elbo Room from a pizza parlor. Brockman, 89, is still a customer of the bar, according to Coffey, and attended its 50th anniversary party in June.
One of the hottest tickets at the bar is its old-style bowling arcade game, in which players roll a ball across a platform to hit the pins, which fall up instead of down. It’s so popular, it has its own league, said Mike Keller, Carol’s partner who helps run the bar.
“Dads used to bring their kids in here. And now their kids are coming in here and grandkids are coming in here. It’s been a family thing for a long time,” Keller said.
The bar’s features include a bucket special for veterans, game night on Wednesdays with trivia or a Family Feud-style game. The Elbo Room will also introduce a Fairfield Alumni night every other Saturday, starting Aug. 2, Coffey said.
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