Kristophers Sports Bar: The heart of Matthews turns into a ‘madhouse’ on game days
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As waves of excitement echo off its walls, clamors of shouts and cheers can only mean one thing at Kristophers Sports Bar: it’s a Sunday night, and the game is on.
Kristophers, which is typically relaxed and dimly lit, comes to life with 52 TV screens, all guaranteed to be tuned in on game day.
“It’s not a wild party type of place. But when we crank up for a sporting event or for NFL football on Sundays, it’s a madhouse,” owner Robby Stringer said.
Built by Orie Johnson in 1989, when Matthews was just a was “just a little small town,” this three-story building downtown was once home to dress and antique shops operated by Johnson family members.
“When it first started, we started as a sports bar with 12 TVs. And that was kind of a big deal in Charlotte way back then,” Stringer said.
Real good bar food
Making all of its items fresh, Stringer said Kristophers is “concentrated on just really having real good bar food, quality ingredients.”
As Kristophers is well-known for its wings, Stringer said, “we’ve been doing wings our way for a long time.”
Along with its never frozen, quality food, Kristophers prides itself on exceptional customer service.
“We wanted everybody to feel like they were at home or at ‘Cheers,’ where everybody knew your name — and that’s just kind of what we’ve prided ourselves on for so long, and honestly, that’s what’s kept us alive,” Stringer said.
A staple in the community
“We’ve got such a local fan base. I’m now serving some of our early customers’ children and grandchildren,” Stringer said.
Kristophers is not only a staple in the Matthews community, it’s also often a point of reference for locals. “If you asked for directions, they’ll name Kristophers and use us as a landmark,” Stringer said.
Its ties to the community proved strong during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when regulars and locals kept the business alive.
It’s literally a testament of them that we stayed open,” Stringer said.
Kristophers gives back
Kristophers also made an effort to give back during those times with an idea from an employee to offer free lunch to children. Stringer said Kristophers served 35 to 40 lunches a day for approximately three to four months.
“Once the news got out that we were doing that, people started donating food. They started baking cupcakes, bringing in cookies, bringing in fruit for us to put in these kids’ bags. So it wasn’t just solely us trying to financially take care of it,” he said.
Stringer said, “Business is a lot tougher now because of the price of everything and how volatile the markets are on food and everything.” But he believes Kristophers has weathered the storm and will continue to grow with the town of Matthews.
“We are blessed by this community. And that’s what’s helped us survive since 1988,” Stringer said.
Kristophers Sports Bar
Location: 250 N Trade St, Matthews, NC 28105
Cuisine: Wings, burgers, pizza, comfort food
Hours: Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
To order: Order online or call 704-845-6200
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristophers_sportsbar/
This story was originally published November 6, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
