WATERLOO - As the saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover.

That important to keep in mind during February, Black History Month. It also applies to a Waterloo business with a black owner, the Southern Soul Club.

Black windows and sparse signage hide a gem in downtown Waterloo. The Southern Soul club is a clean, fun environment aimed at an older demographic. The bar has a personality that reflects its easygoing owner, Grocee Hart.

The So-So Club, as Hart calls it, has been around for nearly two years, but is relatively unknown beyond its downtown faithful. Some of it is the drab exterior, but some of it is misconception.

"There was this young, white girl who came in one day and asked, 'Is it all right for me to come in here?'" Hart laughed. "I told her, 'Of course you can come in here.' And she's been coming back regularly ever since."

And why not? Southern Soul has all the amenities of a full-service bar and the size to host large gatherings such as wedding receptions or reunions. But above all, Southern Soul reflects Hart's laid-back attitude.

"This is a conservative place," said Hart. "There's no roughnecks in here."

Southern Soul definitely shoots for an older crowd. There is a sign on the front door barring those under 25 from entering, but it is more of a suggestion than a rule. It is just Hart's way of attempting to attract the right crowd.

"I can't deny you coming in if you're 21," said Hart, who will only reveal that he is in his late sixties. "But my attitude is a lot different now than when I was that age."

That is not to say the club can't rock. Live music and other performances are scheduled regularly at Southern Soul, but most nights it is a casual, relatively quiet environment for friends to watch TV, play pool or darts, dance and take in some beverages.

Hart's philosophy is a result of a busy life. He was born and raised in Starksville, Miss., where black business owners were not a rare commodity. So it was not a stretch for Hart to picture himself as a business owner from a young age.

"I had a vision of owning my own restaurant some day," said Hart. In fact, he had a specific restaurant in his hometown picked out, but in the 1970's much of his community was bought up by the government and private investors as a result of segregation coming to an end.

Hart bounced around the Midwest before entering the armed services in 1958. After he left the military, he moved back to Mississippi for a while before taking a job with John Deere in Waterloo in 1963.

"I worked at Deeres for 33 years, 7 months and 2 days before retiring in 1997," Hart said with a smile.

For a brief period in the 1980s Hart got his first taste of bar operation with Good Times on East Fourth Street. "I did that and got a little knowledge of how things worked," he said.

Now Hart spends his time running the So-So Club and making annual trips to Gulfport, Miss., with friends to golf. This is the first year he and his friends have gone back since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the area in 2005.

On those golf trips, Hart noticed his home state had changed. "I find that going back to Mississippi is a whole new ballgame," said Hart. "They respect you as people."

But even in Waterloo, Hart still sees a slight racial divide. "Being a black man in a bar, it takes a lot of money to help promote your business."

Hart praises Main Street Waterloo for help in promoting Southern Soul. Through a variety of programs, the organization has helped get people inside the doors of Fourth Street's diamond in the rough.

It does not hurt to have Hart's son helping spread the word. Quentin Hart is a well-known figure in the Cedar Valley and was recently elected to the Waterloo City Council.

The future plans for Southern Soul will include a snack bar, but for the most part, Grocee is content with the bar's casual atmosphere - a true reflection of the man himself.

Contact Drew Andersen at (319) 291-1418 or drew.andersen@wcfcourier.com.