He’s Not Here sold to new owners who want to keep atmosphere ‘consistent’

After weeks of speculation about the future of He’s Not Here, the new owners have completed their acquisition of the iconic Chapel Hill bar.

Bennett Roberts and Matt Mehok finalized their purchase Thursday, replacing owner of more than 40 years David Kitzmiller.

Both were regular patrons of the bar throughout their college years.

Mehok worked there in 1991 and Roberts began dating his wife in the summer of his sophomore year after seeing her at the bar.

“It was a place where everyone wanted to go to break away from reality,” Mehok said.

Mehok, who graduated from UNC in 1993, played football at the University and was introduced to Roberts the first day of freshman year by a teammate.

Roberts attended Elon University, but said that because he grew up in Durham, he had close ties with Chapel Hill.

Mehok, Bennett and Kitzmiller were outside on the balcony, relaxing with their families, enjoying the warm weather and celebrating the finalized sale, on Thursday afternoon.

The new owners said they thought about buying the bar as many as four years ago.

In January, after the bar came onto the market, they said they knew they had to take advantage of the opportunity.

“There was no doubting once he said it, we were both in,” Roberts said.

This won’t be the first time the owners have managed local businesses.

Roberts works with a food brokerage company that sells to stores in five states.

Mehok worked for a consulting business before founding Bull City BBQ, a company that produces bottled sauces and barbecue rubs.

Both said they will continue their other businesses but will focus on He’s Not Here by maintaining a regular presence at the bar.

“It’s important to have a consistent face in the community,” Mehok said.

Roberts said they want to keep the atmosphere but make changes for the better.

“There was a sense that we lost our mojo in the past few years,” Mehok said. “We want to bring it back.”

They said they want to update social media outlets and fix the bathrooms.

“Everything you love will remain the same,” said Fleming Fuller, the bar’s manager.

But he said aesthetic issues will be addressed, and he will focus on promoting the business as a beer garden instead of just a bar.

“We are continuing to think outside the box and give back to the community,” Fuller said.

He said the new owners will provide the necessary money to make the changes.

Though the bar’s current cups are slightly different than the original due to a manufacturing issue, the new owners said they want to assure customers that the iconic blue cups will return soon.

Mehok said they are working with the manufacturer to get back to the original design.

The bar will also continue to feature live music on Fridays.

UNC junior Madelyn Welch said the bar needs to maintain its character.

“I’m already getting good vibes from the new owners,” Welch said. “I love He’s Not. Going into my senior year, I want to see the downstairs utilized more.”

Roberts said he is very excited about his future with the Chapel Hill landmark.

“We’d love to have people come check out the new He’s Not.”

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