Hangar 9 will reopen in August under the ownership of Scott Moller and Andrew Perlmutter, two Saluki alumni.

Perlmutter was the CEO of Funko from 2009 to 2024, according to a news release announcing the new ownership. Moller founded the experiential marketing firm Marketing Werks. Moller had also worked as a promotional director at the SIU Arena.

Sally Carter, the owner of Hangar for the past 47 years, is staying to work alongside Perlmutter and Moller to bring Hangar back to Carbondale.

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Hangar 9 closed its doors at the end of 2024, a few years before reaching its 50th anniversary.

Perlmutter went to SIU from 1995 to 2000 and found himself drawn to the Carbondale nightlife and SIU’s fun school reputation.

“I was like, ‘Oh, sounds like a fun place to go.’ And then I got in there and I just kind of immediately fell in love with the area,” Perlmutter said. “Southern Illinois, you know, with the Shawnee National Forest right there. I didn’t even know that before I went to school there. I was kind of focused on the nightlife and the fun. So when I got there, I kind of fell in love with it.”

Moller’s connection to Carbondale and SIU started with his older sister, who is also a Saluki. By the time it came to deciding what college he wanted to go to, Moller was already in love with Carbondale and decided that’s where he would go.

Currently, Moller is the president of SIU’s Alumni Association and finds himself bouncing between Chicago, Michigan and Carbondale.

Moller and Perlmutter’s mutual history with Carbondale led to them buying Hangar 9 in hopes of breathing new life into the brand.

They plan to reopen the bar Aug. 4, just before students start to arrive on campus for the start of the new school year.

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The new owners have ambitious plans to completely renovate the space over the next two years, starting this summer. The renovations will happen in two phases. Phase 1 will focus on increasing the capacity of the bar from 299 people to 500 people, according to Moller. This is to encourage touring bands to play the venue.

Moller mentioned collaborations from clubs of a similar size in Nashville and Chicago to funnel bands to the new space and bring in national bands to play alongside local favorites. They also hope to cater to genres that are not as often highlighted in the current Carbondale music scene.

“It’s really just a way for us to cultivate bringing more diverse entertainment to Carbondale. We know Carbondale’s got a great music scene already and a loyal music scene, but how can we be part of the group that enhances that?” Moller said.

Phase 1 of renovations is currently in the works. The current construction includes removing concrete steps and the center stairway that are across from the stage. They are also planning on enlarging the dance floor and expanding the beer garden by transforming the parking lot directly south of the building, which they purchased.

Phase 2 of the renovation is set to begin in summer 2026 and will shut down Hangar until the fall of 2026. There will be a new bar and a kitchen added to provide food at the establishment. There are also plans to update the stage and lighting to reorient the stage to face the whole bar. They also plan on upgrading the added beer garden in the meantime.

Moller and Perlmutter are planning to bring some old events that were religiously held at Hangar 9 in a testing capacity, as they implement a variety of new events in the coming year and find what the community best responds to.

Moller and Perlmutter aim to cater to both students and returning alumni.

“We’ve talked about this a lot… about what success looks like for us,” Moller said. “We want students, but we also want faculty and staff from SIU. We want people from Carbondale and the surrounding area to come and visit Hangar. So, success is engagement with lots of different audiences.”

There is a general good feeling that Moller and Perlmutter remember getting when going to Hangar 9 in their college days. It was a place with a welcoming, friendly atmosphere — a place with good music and good vibes.

“It’s funny, the Hangar 9 has a very unique place in my memory at school, and it’s not necessarily a specific event,” Perlmutter said. “It’s how I felt when I went in there… I always felt like it was probably the most chill bar on the strip by far when I was in college, and that’s what I liked most about it. You just kind of felt welcome, and it was a super welcoming environment. That’s the best way I could say it. So, it’s more about the feeling that I have for it than a specific event.”

Moller agreed with Perlmutter, stating that Carbondale’s inclusivity is one of the things they loved most about the community.

“It is such an inclusive community, and I think we want to make sure everybody feels welcome at Hangar,” Moller said. “We look forward to kind of recreating that and continuing that. So that’s part of the culture … So we’re excited to have that, you know, come back and be part of a vibrant part of the community.”

Dominique Martinez-Powell is the student managing editor for the Daily Egyptian. She can be reached at [email protected].

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated. A previous version incorrectly stated that Moller worked at the St. Louis arena. He worked at the SIU arena. A previous version also incorrectly stated that Hangar 9 would be opened Aug. 1. It will be opened Aug. 4.

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