One day in 2016, Chuck Cuevas lost a job for the first time in his life.

But instead of letting it dampen his mojo, it opened the door for him to pursue a dream of owning his own bar.

Three years later, Chuck’s Sports Bar and Memorabilia is celebrating a good year in business.

“It’s been the typical roller-coaster ride, and there have been the prototypical bumps in the road here and there, but it’s been an amazing third year,” the League City resident said. “I’m pretty happy how things are going so far.”

Wanting to stand apart from the cookie-cutter sports bar in many suburban communities, Cuevas, 50, had the goal of making a place that is more of a throwback.

DRINK UP: Houston bars where you can drink like an adult

“It’s not that we provide anything outside the box because let’s be honest, (sports bars) are mostly the same, but what I feel I do provide is that you see the owner — the owner shakes your hand, and thanks you,” Cuevas said.

Chuck’s opened three years ago at 601 E. Main, and while it has faced the usual challenges common to most independent new businesses, Cuevas is staying put.

From the start Cuevas knew he would be going against the grain. Corporate chain sports bars — what Cuevas calls the ‘bar machine’ — have become the go-to watering hole for sports fans and beer and wine enthusiasts.

Chuck’s likes to keep it simple, sticking to a no-frills list of more than 20 options for beer and wine, ranging from the basic Corona and Guinness to some amber, blonde or English ales. The food menu don’t get fancier than a pulled-pork or grilled-cheese sandwich. The bar has karaoke nights.

“We only do beer and wine, and the location is a little off the beaten path, but I don’t consider that a problem,” he said.

HOUSTON STAPLES: Bars that have have been around for at least 20 years

Independent businesses are integral to a city’s identity, according to Erin Webb, spokeswoman for the League City Regional Chamber of Commerce.

"Places like Chuck's in the historic district of League City are so important to our community,” she said. “League City is growing like crazy with over 105,000 residents, and many of those residents still long for the ‘small town feel,’ and Chuck’s gives you that exact feeling. When you walk in, you don't feel like just some random customer, you feel like you're at your second home.”

Chuck’s also has an impressive collection of sports memorabilia, to look at or to purchase, including a signed No. 34 Houston Oiler jersey signed by Earl Campbell.

Erin Webb, the marketing manager for the League City Regional Chamber of Commerce, said Cuevas’ bar reminds her of an old-school neighborhood bar.

“That’s what everyone thinks of Chuck’s,” she said. “It’s homey and everybody is friendly.”

Cuevas, who has lived in Clear Lake or League City since 1989, has been in the hospitality, restaurant and retail business since he was 18, serving as a manager of several franchises in the region.

The story of Chuck’s, said Cuevas, began when he lost that job in 2016.

The day he was let go from an area bar, he came home early.

A FUN NIGHT OUT: Themed bars around the Houston area

“My wife (Carrie) was still up and asked why I was home so early,” he said. “I told her what happened, and she looked me square in the eye and just said, ‘You know what? You’ve been working for somebody else for so long, stop working for the man and be your own man and do what you want to do’ That’s where Chuck’s came from. If I didn’t have support from her, it couldn’t have happened.”

Cuevas is an active Navy reservist and is stationed in Japan several times a year for weeks at a time. He has three young children.

That all makes for a busy life. But it’s also a dream fulfilled, and the work is worth it, Cuevas said.

It’s no accident, said Cuevas, that the front marquee at Chuck’s reminds people of “Cheers”, the popular 1980s TV sitcom about a neighborhood Boston bar.

“It’s just beer and wine, but it’s more than that, it’s community,” he said. “When you come in here, someone might say, ‘Hey what’s going on Bobby?’ or ‘What’s up Mike?’ — and everybody feels important when they walk in and out the door — a pat on the back, a thank you, a hug and a handshake, that’s what we provide,” he said.

For menu lists and more on Chuck’s Sports Bar and Memorabilia, visit its Facebook page.

yorozco@hcnonline.com