The Nest, a popular bar and restaurant in Fayette, is changing hands. The new owner plans to re-open in mid-August, with a grand opening under a new name in September. 

The last day in operation under the original ownership of Max, Vince, Hank, and Alex Hilderbrand was Saturday, July 24.

The business’s new owner, Kyle Imgarten, said the bar will re-open in September as Dee Dee’s Honky Tonk. He plans to change the theme from that of a sports bar to one that focuses heavily on live entertainment.

Until the grand opening in September, Imgarten said it will be business as usual after the mid-August reopening. The food menu will remain largely unchanged and the employees will all be familiar faces.

“Their food menu seems to be a pretty big success around Fayette…so we’re going to try and keep that as similar as possible,” Imgarten said. “I’m going to keep the whole staff, basically. So the people who know how to make the food they like will still be there.”

The hours that the bar is open will remain mostly unchanged as well. The Nest had been open Thursday through Sunday evenings. Dee Dee’s will observe similar hours but may close on Sundays. There are currently no plans to expand hours to provide a lunch service.

The biggest change, however, will be the bar’s theme. Imgarten is taking a page out of his friend Justin Conrad’s book. For nine years Conrad has owned and operated Nash Vegas in Columbia. The two decided to rename The Nest as “Dee Dee’s” in honor of Conrad’s grandmother, who was a big supporter and early investor in Nash Vegas. 

“This is big a high-five to her,” said Imargten.

Once fully realized, Dee Dee’s will be decorated in the likeness of famous Nashville bars. “We’re going to go in and change the atmosphere a little bit,” Imgarten explained. “It’s going to be a Nashville-inspired bar. Live music is going to be the focus.”

Imgarten said he plans to build a small stage beside the front door and host country music cover bands on Friday and Saturday nights. The building’s second room could be opened up for overflow seating and, eventually, will be an event space for rent.

Despite the changes, Imgarten stressed that Dee Dee’s will continue to support local sports teams and other organizations the way The Nest always has. “I know a big part of the college and the community are the local sports teams,” he said.

A native of Keytesville, Imgarten currently lives in Columbia but plans to move to Fayette. He recalled how he would come to Fayette to eat dinner, as so many have from surrounding communities. That experience gave rise to the inspiration to build a business that would create a destination for Howard County’s approximately 10,000 citizens. 

“We want to put in a place where that (country music) fan base can have a place to go,” Imgarten said. “The atmosphere is going to be high energy for the college kids. The adults will have a place to come and have fun also. I want this to be more of a Howard County destination, versus just Fayette. I know there are a lot of people coming from out of town to go eat. We’re hoping to create an environment where they can go out and have a nice dinner, then come over to Dee Dee’s and listen to live bands.

“We’re really excited to offer something fun for the surrounding communities.”

Founded by the four Hilderbrand brothers, The Nest opened on January 31, 2019, three days before Super Bowl LIII. The brothers built the bar from scratch. They bought the building, and built out the inside themselves, with the help of friends and family.

Named in honor of the hometown of the Fayette Falcons and the Central Methodist University Eagles, The Nest quickly became a popular family dinner restaurant in the evenings, while attracting a steady college crowd later at night.

One of those college students was Max, who managed the business while carrying a full class load at CMU. While student teaching and coaching at Glasgow last year, it was not uncommon for him to put in 100 hours of work every week. He graduated in May and is about to start a coaching career in Tipton, nearly an hour-long drive south of Fayette, a change that makes keeping The Nest unrealistic.

“It’s just time to move on,” said Max. “I graduated from college and it’s just not going to work anymore.” Brothers Vince, Hank, and Alex, also have full-time jobs and families. Maintaining a business that stays open until the wee hours is just not in the cards.

The brothers made the announcement on The Nest’s Facebook page on July 5. Since then, Max said the community has really stepped up its support in the final weeks. “We’ve had a lot of college kids we weren’t expecting to see come back and see us in the last few weeks before we close. That made us feel really good.

“We couldn’t really ask for much more from Fayette. We’re forever grateful for this town,” said Max.