Fayetteville loves these two dive bars, and they’re both owned by the same woman

Locals in Fayetteville rave about the dive bars Cheers Too and Louie’s Sports Pub, but many folks might not know that they’re owned by the same woman.

Fayetteville residents might not know it, but two of their favorite dive bars are owned by the same woman.

Gayle Bedsole is the owner of Cheers Too, located at 2803 Raeford Road, and also co-owns Louie’s Sports Pub, just a few streets away at 2417 Robeson St., with her husband, Greg Offenhauser.

When The Fayetteville Observer asked readers in a recent survey to name their favorite dive bars, Cheers Too and Louie’s Sports Bar were among the most frequently mentioned. People rave about the karaoke at Cheers and the live music at Louie’s, with the cheap drinks at both bars also a big plus for customers.

But what really keeps them coming back is the laid-back, welcoming atmosphere and friendly bartenders and staff who make them feel like family.

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Getting into the bar business

The 73-year-old Bedsole said she has lived in Fayetteville since she was 4 years old, when her father joined the military. In 2001, after years of working in a family floral business, she and her late husband, David Bedsole, purchased Cheers Too, which had been around since the early ’90s.

“My husband bought it for something to do when he retired,” she said. “Something that didn’t require as much supervision as his earlier occupation.”

After he died in 2009, Bedsole became the owner and manager of the business.

“Nobody would hire me at 57 years old, and I was too young to retire, so I better figure out the bar business real quick,” she said.

She has since remarried and, in 2017, purchased Louie’s with her husband. She said they bought the business from the same couple, Pam and Tommy Griffin, who sold her Cheers Too.

Alene Hanning and C. Byrd hit the dance floor at Cheers Too on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (USA Today via Reuters)

At the bar

At Cheers Too, patrons can sit around the bar, play a round of pool or play cornhole outside.

There’s also plenty of televisions, so sports fanatics won’t miss the big game. Carolina Hurricanes fans are in luck, Bedsole said, because Cheers is a “Canes bar.”

She describes Cheers Too as a karaoke bar, and said that while the Raeford Road bar had karaoke when she first bought it, she has since extended karaoke from three nights a week to six.

The karaoke fans who responded to the Observer’s survey love it, with one person calling it “killer karaoke” and another praising the “cool Karaoke DJ’s.”

At Louie’s, patrons can shoot a game at one of several pool tables inside, or venture outside, where they can play cornhole or on the weekends, listen to live music from a stage on the patio behind the bar.

Bedsole said Louie’s had live music before she and Offenhauser bought it, but she has increased the variety of bands that perform there. Fayetteville’s Fear State, a multi-generational local rock group that performs covers and original songs, performed on Halloween night. Other recent performances at the Robeson Street bar include Reflections II, Joyner Young and Marie and the Guy Unger Band.

“It’s the best place for local bands to play,” a Louie’s customer said in the Observer’s survey.

Bernie “B-Man” Mangiboyat pumps his fist in the air as Fear State performs at Louie’s Sports Bar and Pub in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (USA Today via Reuters)

Like family

Cheers Too patrons described the bar as inexpensive and laid back, with some of the best bartenders in the city.

“They make you feel like family when you come in,” one person said in the survey.

“Great atmosphere, everyone knows everyone,” said another.

Similarly, patrons of Louie’s Sports Pub also praised its atmosphere and friendly service, as well as great live music from local bands.

“Drink prices are low and, bands are great and bartenders are the Best,” said one Louie’s fan.

Another survey respondent said Louie’s is “the best place for local bands to play, great atmosphere and cheap reasonable drink prices.”

Bartender Lauren Bauer takes drink orders at Louie’s Sports Bar and Pub in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (USA Today via Reuters)

And the bartenders love it, too

While it’s hardly surprising that both Cheers and Louie’s customers love the bars, the staff say they do, too.

Cheers Too bartender Aimee Smith said during a break from tending bar Nov. 5 that this is one of the best jobs she’s ever had.

“Great people to work for and great clientele,” Smith said.

Jackie Sweers, who has worked at Louie’s Sports Pub for more than 30 years, said that working at the bar has connected her with so many in the Fayetteville community.

“We got great patrons,” she said. “They become bar family.”

She even created a word for the bar’s regulars: “We call it Bar-Fam.”

Bedsole said she is happy to see such an enthusiastic response to her bars from the Observer’s survey and said she sees all her customers as family.

“If they need something or I need something, it works both ways. Usually, we can find someone to do it in our bar family. If somebody needs help, we certainly try and rally around and do whatever we can for them,” she said. “It’s quite an honor, and I am super excited. It just speaks volumes to me that we’re doing something that people like.”

Cheers Too was voted as one of people’s favorite dive bars in Fayetteville. (USA Today via Reuters)

Reporting by Joseph Pierre, Fayetteville Observer / The Fayetteville Observer

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect