Che's Lounge

Che's Lounge is one of those bars that almost anyone can enjoy. Heck, even students who graduated 10 or more years ago still gather at the Fourth Avenue bar in droves. Plenty of non-students also frequent the 3-year-old bar. There are two simple reasons for Che's popularity: No cover and cheap drinks. One of the six beers on tap always is priced at $1. Granted, the pick might be Miller Genuine Draft, but it sometimes is Hefeweizen. If the cheap draft is gone, there are always $1 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Mixed drinks range from $2 to $7.75. Goldfish crackers and pretzels are doled out on request. There's another reason why Che's attracts its share of fun-loving revelers. Its charm. "We come here all the time," said Kathy Hannigan, a 24-year-old cosmetics saleswoman. "It's a great place to sit back. . . . This is a kinder, gentler version of a Fourth Avenue bar. I always take my out-of-town friends here." Most Saturdays, tables and chairs are pushed aside and a band crams into the front area. They set up on the wood-scuffed floors in front of the U-shaped bar and start about 10 p.m. When the band's not playing, patrons play tunes from Che's jukebox, which boasts a huge variety of songs. As for how the bar's name came about: "It was first the pun on 'chaise lounge,' " said co-owner Jill Vancza, 36. "It also would definitely have a nod toward Che Guevara," the revolutionary. Four T-shirt designs, including Guevara's likeness, are $15 each. "Che's attracts a diversity of people," said Bob Friel, a 40-something operations manager for Ace Rubber Stamps and a regular. "The bartenders are great; the atmosphere is great." Maybe there's another reason people love Che's so much: bartender Donovan White. While certainly all the bartenders are beloved, the 32-year-old White has that affable, hard-to-forget personality that makes him a favorite. White, like most of the employees, said that he has worked at the bar since "Day One." A few of the "visual conceptualist's" paintings and illustrations are for sale at Che's, ranging from $400 to $1,000. White also chooses the other local artists that adorn Che's walls. "We have a nice, tight group of regulars," White said. "It's comfortable; we treat them as they treat us." "He's a stand-up bartender," says Joe Scheun, a 26-year-old truck driver from Tucson. "He treats everyone real cool."

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