Founded in 2024 and on the heels of the world’s dumbest divorce, OBA is the brainchild TN native, and deeply bored, Jessica. What was once a joke-hobby and distracting pastime to help soothe the sting of her hilariously failed marriage, the launch of OBA quickly devolved into an absolutely unhinged obsession. 

The OBA aims to provide a space specifically designed for the politically engaged, socially minded, academic liberals of the world… who are also moronic drunkards. Hearkening back to the era of coffee- and spirits- fueled meeting houses in which concepts like the nature of humanity, law, and reason were feverishly debated that ultimately ushered in a new, Enlightened Era, the OBA Bar is a refuge for thinkers and revolutionaries… but so, so much dumber. Like, painfully dumb. 

Rousseau would absolutely not appreciate what we’ve done here. Locke may find us amusing in the same way we find dogs with an aggressive underbite amusing. Voltaire thinks this place absolutely slaps.

The backstory

The OBA Bar gets its name from a public, alternative middle school in Central New Jersey, where I got my first teaching position (not at the school, but in that district). In 2018, this same school then served to provide a framework that was utilized for a collaborative final project in master’s program (Endicocce Champions 2017 baby!). The project required us to design our ideal school based on what we had learned throughout the program. Along side brilliant educators Tara and Kathryn, it was concluded that “The O’Brien Academy was most definitely the name of a bar, not a school.” In true burn-out, ready to be done with this degree fashion, our ideal school borrowed the name “The O’Brien Academy” and made a few, erm, adjustments to the course of study. Our fictitious school’s logo? A medieval style crest with typical educational emblems in each quadrant, a book, a telescope, and of course, a beer stein. The motto? “Overflowing with knowledge.” The professor loved it.

The OBA is named in honor of the people who’ve supported me throughout pivotal chapters of my life with unconditional laughter and thoughtful conversation.

The founding

Fast forward to 2024: my life was facing yet another new chapter, and an un-fun one at that. The house I started renting came with what can best be described as the “landlord special” of maintenance. Painted over scotch-tape, scratch & dent appliances, light fixtures from a rummage sale, and a bar in the driveway for reasons I still can’t fully understand. There was work to be done to make this house a home and the best place to start was… the bar.

Bringing it full circle

Whereas the OBA school provided an alternative approach to learning tailored to the needs of its unique, occasionally delinquent students (who, to be clear - are deserving of a quality, compassionate education) the OBA bar provides an alternative approach to social gatherings tailored to the unique needs of its unique, occasionally delinquent patrons.

The OBA(s) are many things - a place where learning happens in different forms, a place where there are - for reasons - an abundance of games an activities, a place for the occasional outburst and a safe space for big, hard feelings, a place of love, and a place of inclusion. May your cups overflow with knowledge. Namaste.