“I don’t have a polished origin story,” says CJ Davis, leaning against the worn wooden bar at Club Frisco. “It’s just the story of our family.”
In Downtown Rogers [DTR]—a town rapidly transforming under the long shadow of corporate growth—Club Frisco stands as a charming and soulful testament to endurance. But to know this iconic place is to know the Davis family.
Emery Davis Jr. and his wife, Ruth–known affectionately as Mr. Emery and Ms. Ruth–swapped the low country of South Louisiana for the Ozarks in 1987, moving their three young sons to Rogers and, over time, establishing a few of DTR’s hospitality landmarks.
“We had moved a doctor friend up here, and on our way back to Houma, my husband brought up the idea of moving,” Ms. Ruth recalls. “Our youngest son, CJ, said, ‘Why don’t we move here?’ He loved the mountains and how he could see through the streams.”
“We were living south of New Orleans, so the Ozarks were like the Rockies to us,” CJ added.
Ms. Ruth, the matriarch and true crown jewel of the DTR community, saw something special in the sleepy streets of late-80s Rogers. It felt safe and walkable, like her hometown of Americus, Georgia. She and Mr. Emery opened a tuxedo rental and alterations shop, moving into the building at First and Poplar Streets.
But Mr. Emery, a serial entrepreneur, saw potential in the space behind their alterations business. He wanted to open a neighborhood bar.
“My husband wanted to open a bar in the space behind the shop; I didn’t want to,” Ms. Ruth says. “Eventually I got talked into it.”
Ms. Ruth’s one stipulation would forever impact the atmosphere of Club Frisco: “I said I’d only agree to the bar if you can promise me that any female can walk in, unescorted, and feel safe.”
With his Marine Corps background and Southern proprieties, the family laughs that Mr. Emery would have liked to see Club Frisco open with white tablecloths to guests in dinner jackets and evening gowns.
“I didn’t want the white tablecloths because I knew who was going to be washing them,” Ms. Ruth jokes.
The bar opened in 2002, in a dry Benton County, and at 68 years old, Mr. Emery was managing the bar on his own. Needless to say, Club Frisco was struggling to take off.
While the family patriarch was pouring drinks in Rogers, CJ and his then-girlfriend Jen were working as ski lift operators in the Tetons, where she also doubled as a lodge bartender.
“One night, we’re hanging out at my brother’s house, and he says to Jen, ‘My dad wants to talk to you.’ I thought, ‘My Marine Corps dad wants to talk to my dreadlocked girlfriend…what could this be about?’”
Knowing Jen had bartending experience, Mr. Emery was looking for a lifeline; someone who could help Club Frisco avoid failure. According to CJ, the bar was going to be a way to help pay for the building, which meant it had to work.
“So I get on the phone, and Mr. Emery says, ‘Miss Jennifer, I’d like to interest you in a job opportunity. I’ve got this bar here, and I know you work at a bar. Would you be interested in running it for us?’”
Jen answered the call, so to speak. She and CJ left the mountains and moved to Rogers, stepping behind the bar alongside Mr. Emery. What unfolded was a quiet, beautiful bridge between generations. Side-by-side, the veteran and the free spirit built a bond rooted in hard work.
“We got to know each other better and realized we had a lot more in common than we thought,” she said.
When the time came for Mr. Emery to step into a well-earned retirement, Jen and CJ took the helm, keeping the family legacy alive while protecting the safe, welcoming space Ms. Ruth had envisioned. Recognizing that a true community hub takes a village, they brought in trusted friends—the Wolf siblings, Steven, Jared, and Rebecca—to help manage operations. Today, the Wolfs aren't just staff; they are an extension of the Davis family thread, ensuring that every person who walks through the door feels the same warmth that started it all.
Over the decades, Club Frisco has survived dry-county regulations, changing eras, and the rapid evolution of Northwest Arkansas. It stands today as one of the longest-running establishments in town—representing a proud chapter of local history, built on a father’s grit, a mother’s protective instincts, and a family’s devotion to their community.
The next time you find yourself wandering DTR, pull open the alley door to Club Frisco. Take a seat at the bar, and raise a glass to the families that have kept this gathering space–and its values–alive for you for nearly thirty years.
“I said I’d only agree to the bar if you can promise me that any female can walk in, unescorted, and feel safe.” Ms. Ruth