Mike Murphy, 28, Hiawatha
Bartender @ The Red Baron

We hear that The Red Baron is getting ready for their grand opening. What we can expect from the newest place in Czech Village?
The style is very World War I and other parts of history. The owner is a huge history buff and the atmosphere and decorations really reflect that. You’ll see stone walls, castle-like lighting and lots of German beer — quite possibly the largest collection of German beer in town.

What kind of bar would you call The Red Baron?
It’s definitely a bar/dance club. There is also a huge outdoor patio. Our crowd is very broad — from young people to older folks who are supporting Czech Village. We have a DJ every Friday night and live music every Saturday. Weekends get a little crazier in terms of audience but we always have fun.

What motivated you to manage the place?
I’ve know the owner (Baron) for years and have been in the bar industry for years. Eventually I plan to actually apply the degree I received, but for now am enjoying what I’m doing and happy to help open the place up.

What’s going on for the grand opening Friday, Saturday and Sunday?
Lots of live music. Red Door and Lonesome Road on Friday. Meerkats Saturday and McMern Johnson Sunday. We’re going to have four beer tents and Budweiser will be out registering people for prizes.

How is The Red Baron going to add to the revitalization of Czech Village?
The Red Baron is one of the few bigger bars/dance clubs in the area and I feel like it’s going to add to the variety we’re finding here in Czech Village. We hope to do some activities like pub crawls in the fall to show people what’s here.
— QUINN
DETAILS: 62 16th Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids;
(319) 265-0000; Happy hour Monday through
Friday 4 to 9 p.m.

Dean Geuder, 46, Cedar Rapids
Owner @ Deanoz

You’ve been in the bar business for a while, right?
When I was growing up, my family owned a bar and restaurant. I owned the original Deanoz for 15 years, had another place called the Bungalo and also a place called Homers.

But, you left. What made you get out?
I really wanted a break. My wife and I have kids and they were pretty young at the time. It just felt like the right time to
take a break.

Why did you to come back and reopen Deanoz in a new location on First Avenue?
I decided to reopen Deanoz about a year and a half ago. I got back into the corporate world for a few years and realized I wasn’t a fan. The bar industry and management is just like second nature to me and it felt right to go back. Plus, I love the fact that you can’t smoke in bars anymore.

Tell us more about the new Deanoz.
It’s an ideal location (in the parking lot of the Towne and Country Shopping Center) and one of the biggest changes is the additional food. People are surprised at the variety of food we have, including our family’s award winning bbq sauce. It’s not your typical bar selections. It’s a sports bar by nature, but the crowd is very diverse.

Does Deanoz have a home team during football season?
Because we offer the NFL Sunday ticket, it’s truly anyone’s team — Cowboys, Dolphins, Chiefs, etc. We do have a very loyal group of Minnesota Vikings fans with the Midwest Vikings Club. It’s great to know they will be here for every game. College football is also always popular.

What have you done to help build customer base?
For me it’s helped that I’ve lived here for a number of years. You meet all sorts of people — blue collar, white collar, friends of friends, family friends — it’s all about getting the word out and over time these groups help grow the business.

Any crazy sports fan stories?
Everyone is pretty well behaved. We have a lot of fun during (University of Iowa) Hawkeye football. The crowd really gets into it. Last year with (University of Northern) Panther basketball we saw a similar reaction — lots of support and having fun.

What are you looking forward to this fall?
Our football season will be ready to go, complete with a couple new televisions.

Being in this business, then leaving and now returning, what advice do you have for someone thinking about opening up a bar?
You have to want to work, and you have to like what you’re doing. If you’re getting into it simply because you like to drink, don’t do it. Its hard work — lots of decisions to be made — it’s all you. But if you like what you do, it’s worth it.

— QUINN
DETAILS: 3707 First Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, kitchen open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, (319) 862-0772, www.deanoz.com

Joe Burnett, 39,
rural West Liberty
Co-owner @ Wildwood Smokehouse and Saloon

How did you get into the bar and restaurant business?
My wife and I went to Texas to the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo about three years ago and after we got home, I said I was disappointed we didn’t really have a country western place around here. She said, ‘Don’t complain. Go do something about it.’ Later, I was having lunch at school — I’m the superintendent of the Wilton School District — with one of my teachers, Randy Lee, and I told him about that and he said, “I’ve always wanted to do something like that, too.” So that’s how it started — over school lunch one day. He and my wife, Amy, are co-owners with me. My brother, Brad, is a part-owner, too.

We started looking for land, put a business plan together, and almost a year to do the day of us finding this piece of land, we broke ground, and two years to the day, we opened. The building — we got all the lumber out of one of my neighbor’s barns. Every piece of wood you see in here we took out of his 100-year-old barn.

What makes your place unique in Iowa City?
There really is no other predominately country bar in Eastern Iowa, especially of this size. There might be a hole-in-the-wall place, but we’re the only place that has a country band every Saturday night. We have Nashville acts about once a month. We offer free dance lessons on Thursday nights. And every other Friday night we have a mechanical bull. It’s just, really, it appeals to a wide variety of people. We get people from 18 up to 80-years-old in here.

So how big is the bar?
We can hold about 600 people. We designed this place with a center stage atmosphere. The stage is the center of attention. It’s 4 feet off the ground and there’s no bad seat in the place. No matter where you are, you can see the stage. This is very much a fan-friendly place to watch live country music.

Where are we more likely to find you: Line dancing or riding the bull?
I love to two-step. My wife and I love to two-step. We live in the country. We have horses and cattle. I really like that cowboy lifestyle outside of my day job, so you’ve probably seen me on the bull. I’ve ridden the bull. My son loves to ride the bull. It’s very family-friendly out here. We have a lot of families who come out here and eat dinner, and stick around the kids ride the bull or they listen to music for a bit.

What drink is popular here?
People love drinking a cold beer out of our 32-ounce Mason jars. They’re $5, and that’s a lot of beer. That’s unique here.
— ANNE

Brian Hughes, 36, Robins
Owner @ Toocan’s

You recently opened Toocan’s in the space once occupied by Volume, what inspired the change?
Volume had a good run, but we’d seen a decline in business the last few months. I started talking to customers who I would see out but no longer went to Volume. Many of them, especially women, thought the noise level made it difficult to talk to their friends. They wanted to come back to the bar but thought a more relaxing atmosphere would work better. I decided calling a quiet bar Volume wasn’t the best idea and their feedback ultimately sparked some bigger concepts which led to Toocan’s.

Toocan’s is taking the tiki bar idea to a whole new level. What’s inside?
In terms of atmosphere I wanted patrons to get a Key West/Cancun feel. We’ve decked the place out with palm trees, bright colored walls, tiki faces, sails hanging from the ceiling, a bar made out of bamboo and marble.

How will the theme apply in the dead of an Iowa winter?
I’ve had lots of people ask me this. The frozen drinks are just one part of the menu. People will still be able to enjoy the common bar drinks. As far as the atmosphere, one of my favorite things is to get away somewhere tropical during the Winter months, but you can’t do that on a weekly basis. Toocan’s will give Iowans the chance to escape to a tropical atmosphere, if only for a little while.

Tell us about the Skinny Menu.
This is getting very popular in other parts of the country so I thought I’d try it here. The Skinny Menu offers low calorie recipes for what are commonly high calorie drinks. For example, a classic margarita can be anywhere from 300 to 500 calories, but the skinny option, with only 100 calories, takes out the sugar and calories and doesn’t leave you with a full heavy feeling. The menu offers mixed drinks, frozen drinks and shots without jeopardizing the flavor.

What’s your secret to staff success?
Our staff is the heart of the business. They are the reason we have a following, and are some of my best friends. The most recent example was the hundreds of hours staff volunteered to get Toocan’s ready to open, from painting to cleaning. I am a big believer in treating others the way you want to be treated and remembering to reward people for hard work.

What events can we look forward to for the rest of summer at Toocan’s?
This Saturday will be the unveiling of our booze luge, a 300 pound block of ice designed for shots. We’re also running specials immediately following Uptown Friday Nights. We’re keeping live music shows to once every couple months.
Our first show will be the Cedar Island Band in August.

— QUINN

Amber Miller, 29, Iowa City
Owner @ The Hideaway

How did you get into the bar business?
Paying my way through school is how I started. As a college student I started working in a bar waitressing and worked my way up. I went to school in Colorado and then moved to Chicago and continued working there.

How did you end up opening a place in Iowa City?
The opportunity came up with this place. I thought it was a good location and a great space, and that Iowa City needed a few niches filled.

What niche does The Hideaway fill?
Upscale bar food that is affordable — great burgers and sandwiches. Quality American beer. You can have all your domestics on tap but still have a variety of good American microbreweries too. Our beer list changes so often. I’m very familiar with a lot of microbreweries that are just starting to get into Iowa, so as soon as something pops up, I try to get it in here and on draught as fast as possible.

Why is it important to carry beers from microbreweries?
I just believe in supporting the American craft brewer. Just like you support your local co-op, support your local brewer, and try these really great, fine craft beers. I have Peace Tree on tap. They’re out of Knoxville, Iowa, and they have some really great stuff. On Wednesdays, we offer all our draughts for $2.50.

What else sets your bar apart?
We’re starting bags tournaments. Everyone thinks they’re great in their own yard, you know: “I’m in the champion. I’m number one.” It’s a game that everybody plays at home, but you don’t know how good you are until you can get out and start playing with everyone else. We have a $15 buy-in per pair of people. The tournament goes all day
and there are prizes for first, second, and third place. We’ll play in the lot unless it rains — then we play in the bar. Sign-up is at 12:30 p.m. and play starts at 1 p.m.

Also, we display art from local artists on the walls, with a new artist being featured every month. I feel like there are so many artists and musicians in Iowa City and they need more outlets.

What’s one thing about you that would surprise your regulars?
I used to be a professional cheerleader. In Denver, for the Broncos. That would probably surprise people.
— ANNE

Your accent is a hint that you may not be from Iowa originally.
Originally from England, I moved out to LA in the 80s where I met my wife, who was born in Cedar Rapids. After we had kids we decided it would be a good move to get out of California and put them in Iowa schools, so we ended up back in Cedar Rapids.

How was that transition?
Honestly I had never been to Iowa, let alone Cedar Rapids, before I actually came here to live. Literally the day we had the cable being installed was 9/11. The cable came on and we were in the throws of the attack. So a little unsettling of a start, but Cedar Rapids is a great community. The only regret is that we didn’t move here sooner.

What inspired The Londoner?
My sister Marilyn had been in the states for quite some time, and last year decided to move to Cedar Rapids to be closer to me and the family. She had owned restaurants in other parts of the country, and we both thought it would be fun to bring a little bit of the English pub atmosphere to Cedar Rapids.

What three words would you use to describe The Londoner?
Warm, friendly and welcoming. It doesn’t matter who you are, we want to make sure everyone feels that this is their place. We know our customers have a choice in where to go and getting out there to visit them and make them feel good is important.

Does The Londoner have a signature shot?
That would be the Celtic Pride with vodka, triple sec, English Rose, Apple Pucker, lime juice, sweet & sour and a bit of pineapple juice.

Any activities we should know about?
The World Cup has had this place packed, but we offer a number of things including easy listening music on Sundays. We will be getting a variety of sports including Monday Night Football this fall.

Finish this line: “The key to a great time at the Londoner is to come in with your ___”?
Smile on your face and an appetite.
— QUINN

Dan Klenske, 23, Iowa City
Bar manager @ Atlas

How long have you been a bartender?
About a year and half.

How did you get into bartending?
This is actually my first restaurant job. I always kind of wanted to work in a restaurant. I got a job here, and quickly they moved me into bar and manager.

What do you like about bartending?
I just love the fact that you’re creating.
You get the best of both worlds. You serve people and you get to make the drinks, you get to create.

Can you talk a little about what goes into creating a cocktail?
I like using fresh ingredients. Berries are in season right now, so we’ve been using blackberries. We also make our sour mix from scratch. Fresh ingredients are always a good place to start. I like to work with classic drinks, and change an item here, mix
a concept there.

Can you give me an example of a classic drink you’ve added a fresh twist to?
We have a new drink that we’re calling the Blackberry Bramble. It was inspired by our mojito, which has muddled mint and lime.
We switched it up to use blackberries, and we use vodka instead of rum. So it’s along the lines of a mojito, but a unique, different thing using what we had in stock at the time. It’s been pretty popular.

Summer must be a good season for new drinks since there are so many options for fresh ingredients. Summer drinks are much easier to create than winter cocktails. In summer, we have the flavors that people like to drink.
They’re fresh, they’re light, they use a lot of citrus. They’re refreshing.

What kind of cocktails do you make in the winter?
To be honest, a lot of times in the winter, we like to feature red wine. Or we’ll do an Irish coffee, something like that. But mostly we stick to wines in the winter.

What’s your favorite cocktail to pour?
I like to make a martini, a Manhattan, something along those lines. I like the flair, but at the same time the tradition behind it. We make a lot of margaritas and mojitos. Atlas is definitely known for its mojito. But the martini — it’s old school. I like that.

And what’s your drink of choice?
I would say beer and wine, and then I do like gin martinis. I’m not a vodka martini fan. Those are popular, but I prefer gin.
— ANNE

Brian Chapman, 45, Cedar Rapids
Owner of Chappy’s Safari Lounge

How long has Chappy’s been around? What motivated you to open the doors?
Going on eleven years now. I appreciate the flexibility of having my own place — making my own decisions as opposed to having them handed them to me.

What made you decide to reopen after the flood?
We had to decide what to do with the property. From a value standpoint it didn’t make sense not to reopen. Plus, our patrons were excited to have us come back.

What are some of the new pieces you’ve added and the things you’ve kept the same?
Our décor is different, along with the physical bar — we have a big horse shoe shaped bar now, flat screen TVs. We’ve
also added karaoke to the event calendar. A lot of the menu has stayed the same, although we did introduce homemade
pizza post-flood.

What do you think makes a good bar?
Patrons have to be comfortable. It can be anything from the color of the walls, to lighting, to the bartender … all need
to work together in order for people
to feel welcome.

What’s up for this summer?
Once a month we’re going to do family friendly karaoke — people will be able
to bring in their kids and sing. It
should be fun.

What’s one piece of advice you can give to prospective bar owners?
Stay consistent — in menu, in atmosphere … all of it. The more consistent you are,
the better.

— QUINN

Linda Kuncl, 57, Iowa City
Manager/Owner @ Hilltop Tavern

How did you get into the bar business?
Well, in my teenage years, I always wanted to own a bar. I just had an idea that that’s what I’d like to do with my life. All kids have something — they want to be a fireman or a race car driver or something and for some reason, I always wanted to own a bar. There was an old country bar about two miles from my parents’ farm out in Caldwell, and the people who owned it lived in the back and I went to grade school with some of their kids.
We’d go there because it was a family place. It was a happy time in my life, so I guess that’s how I perceived the bar business.

What’s the best part of your job?
The people. Meeting the people. I’ve been called “saloon girl at heart.” I think that’s probably it. I’m not a big drinker. I do drink. But I just really like meeting people, especially the ones who maybe don’t live here but they stop by whenever they’re in town to see us. That always makes me feel good.

Do people call you “saloon girl” because of the atmosphere of this bar?
I think so, yes. I always call our clientele a Heinz 57, which is an old cliche meaning just a little
bit of everybody. We have people with suits and we have farmers with pig s— on their boots and we have bike riders, pedal bike riders, office workers. We have a little bit of everybody, which really makes it fun.

What’s your favorite day to work?
Friday because it’s the busiest. I call it my bread and butter day. That’s the day that really pays the bills.

Tell me a little bit about the history of this bar.
There’s been a lot of talk about which bar is the oldest bar in Iowa City, and I think it all depends on what criteria you attach to that question. If it’s been in the same location, if it’s had the same owners or been in the family. I think we are one of the oldest, although a lot of the paperwork back in the ‘30s just is not available. We tried to put together a history of the bar when we celebrated our 70th anniversary, and we really came into a lot of stumbling blocks getting information. The old directories at the library have, in 1933, this location listed as the Hilltop Tavern or the Last Chance/First Chance. It’s had a few names over the years, but Hilltop is the name it’s noted for. A lot of the old-timers call it the First Chance/Last Chance because it was the first chance to have a beer coming into town and the last chance to have a beer going out. That doesn’t hold true anymore because there are several other establishments now on the way out — or the way in, whichever way you want to look at it. I’ve been here 28 years, and the previous owners owned it for like 33 years. There haven’t been that many owners in all the time the bar’s been here.

Can you share anything else notable about Hilltop Tavern?
We’ve really become known for our chocolate chip cookies. Never would I have ever thought we would be making the amount of chocolate chip cookies that we make these days now.

How did chocolate chip cookies become your signature item?
We used to have them as part of a lunch special. We charcoal grilled hamburgers outside and we made potato salad and we would put a chocolate chip cookie with it for dessert as part of the special. And then people wanted to buy more of them. We made them one day a week. Well, then, people wanted more of them, so then we started making them every day. Now Hills Bank buys them from us to give away as a customer appreciation thing on Fridays. So some days we’re making 100 dozen cookies for Friday alone.

So what drink goes best with cookies?
I don’t think they care over here. If there’s leftovers from lunch, the afternoon or the night people, they know where they are. They’ll open the cupboards and look and see if there’s any leftover. I don’t think they care what they drink with them.

— ANNE

Chad Cooper, 22, Cedar Rapids
Bartender @ Coopacabana

How long has Coopacabana been around?
We’ve been at 529 Fourth Ave. SE for eight years

What’s have you changed over the years?
When we first opened, the bar looked like it belonged in two separate buildings — we knocked down a few walls to make it into a more open atmosphere. Another thing we added was the live music element. We’ve always been a popular place for darts.

The Cooper family is all in this together—you, your dad and your mom. What’s it like running a family business?
Growing up and seeing how my family operated the place taught me a lot about social skills and business.

As a family, do you ever find it challenging to disconnect from the bar?
Thursday through Saturdays, we pretty much know we’ll be at the bar or working on something related to the bar. We do make it a point to spend the rest of the week either completely disconnected doing our own things or family things that have nothing to do with the business.

What are three criteria you feel most important in a bartender?
Number one is personality. Number two — honesty and dependability. Finally, keeping up with drinks.

What’s the house specialty?
I don’t know if it stems from the dart leagues or what, but our Cherry Bomb shots are incredibly popular. Very basic but high in demand.

Anything lined up for summer we should get on the calendar now?
This summer we’ll be having live music after Uptown Friday Nights, along with drink specials on specialty items like margaritas. The Uptown Friday Night series brings in a lot of people to the downtown area and we want to offer them something to do after-staying downtown.

Coopacabana will be one of the stops at the
SPRING-O Pub Crawl Friday. Full details are available
at www.downtowncr.org