Vincent Hemmeter is part of the vanguard of the informal movement to keep Worcester weird.
As the owner of two of the more well-known and eccentric establishments in the city, Hemmeter plays a critical role in Worcester’s cultural landscape, providing a venue for live music, comedy, drag shows, and whatever else local creatives can come up with. Both venues walls are lined with neon, murals, and other assorted oddities, offering an alternative to more-buttoned up, modern venues popping up in the city.
Vincent’s Bar has been operating since 1997, offering locals the quintessential dive bar experience (and some tasty meatball sandwiches as well). The venue famously avoids unexpectedly closing for any reason, becoming a place of refuge during winter storms or whatever other calamities are happening. With musical acts playing on a nightly basis, it’s one of the more reliable venues for entertainment in the city, featuring affordable brews and a crowd that is anything but boring.
Before he opened Vincent’s, Hemmeter was an employee at Ralph’s Rock Diner.
After owners Carol and Ralph Morberly left the business, he took it over, helping cement the venue as a premier and highly interesting destination venues for live entertainment. More than just a diner, the eccentric locale even served as a filming location for “We Don’t Belong Here”, a 2015 drama featuring “Saturday Night Live” alumnae Molly Shannon and Maya Rudolph.
When asked what makes him one of Central Massachusetts’ most influential professionals, Hemmeter kept it simple.
“I suppose if you do the same thing for almost 40 years, people take notice,” he said, “or maybe it’s the meatballs.”
