At age 65, Greenwood Lounge bartender Bill Landis has spent many an hour hauling bags of ice into the Ingersoll Avenue bar so drinks could be served on the rocks.
That’s because the ice machine hasn’t worked in years. The soda gun also is out of commission and the felt top of the pool table is ripped. And the restrooms … well.
Those are just some of the many things that have earned the Greenwood the title “dive bar.” But now a new owner is on the scene, and while he says he’s not out to erase the ‘Wood’s shabby charm, he’s hoping to make what may be Des Moines’ oldest continuously operating bar a little more livable.
Connor Delaney, owner and founder of White Oak Realty, recently acquired ownership after buying and carrying out a total remake of the formerly derelict Ingersoll Theater next door, turning it into a literal showplace. But before any of Greenwood’s faithful get up in arms about potential alterations on that scale, he said all he has in mind are some “light cosmetic” changes.
The bar has been a neighborhood fixture since 1933 and hosts a rotating lineup of Americana, rock and blues bands almost every night it’s open, all playing only for tips.
Delaney said he wants to assure them no changes have been made without receiving the blessing of the regulars, who’ve been known to gripe even about upgrades like the replacement of the torn and grimy banquettes opposite the bar a few years back.
“I want to get those gentlemen what they need to be more comfortable and provide better service for their patrons,” he said of Landis and 72-year-old Bob Stark, another of the Greenwood’s dedicated bartenders.
In the last few weeks of January, Delaney has installed a new ice maker, a soda gun and replaced the pool table’s felt top. The streetside windows are now clean enough to let in some sunlight, though it’s not likely the night-owl patrons will notice.
The legendarily ghastly restrooms also are getting a scrub, with some new flooring going in the women’s facilities. But the 90-plus years of graffiti on their walls will stay, Delaney said.
“We’re leaving that in place and just cleaning them up, so they are comfortable to use,” he said.
Also untouched will be the famous-though-faded Constance Depler “Bar Hound” wallpaper murals on the main room’s west walls, depicting dogs in fancy dress dancing and drinking at a bar. They’ve been a fixture for many decades.
Additions will be made to the drink menu, such as the return of wine, but all of the regulars’ favorites will remain, Delaney said.
“We’re bringing back wine because the ladies like drinking wine and the men want their wives to come in there while they listen to music in that hell hole,” Delaney said.
Patrons can enjoy the side room where the pool table resides now that a 25-year-old leak that nearly caused the roof to collapse has been fixed, Delaney said. A few of the barstools that lack historic ties will be replaced.
“Just a deep clean, minor repairs, but the history and character remain intact,” Delaney said.
While cleaning, he and Landis discovered a once-illuminated Bakelite sign that said “Johnnie” behind a panel above the bar. The two believe the sign went up in the 1940s in honor of then-owner Johnnie Hook, whose claims to fame included being busted by the city for serving underaged patrons and offering customers whiskey when the bar only had a license to sell beer.
Johnnie’s name now shines in red above the bar again after Delaney had it repaired. It is complemented by new red fluorescent bulbs around the bar.
Delaney refrained from giving a timeline on when the bar will reopen, but he hopes for a quick turnaround so the music can carry on.
“We’re cleaning as fast as possible,” he said. “Staff and musicians would like to be earning tips quickly.”
Delaney is cut from the Greenwood cloth
Delaney may be the new owner, but he isn’t a newcomer when it comes to the Greenwood and its cast of characters. He said his uncle enjoyed his first legal beer there in 1979 and in ensuing years became good friends with Landis.
When Landis wasn’t behind the Greenwood’s bar, he also worked for a character program for troubled youth, one of whom was Delaney. While mowing lawns during the hot summer days, Delaney said, he and Landis got to know each other too.
Fixing up the Greenwood while leaning into its history will also support his new theater as well as the Ingersoll area as a whole, Delaney said.
“Anything in Greenwood that has character, charm or bar history stays,” Delaney said. “The goal isn’t to reinvent it ― it’s to stabilize it and let its history keep doing the talking.”
Kate Kealey is the growth and development reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Beloved Ingersoll dive bar gets repairs — but not a makeover
Reporting by Kate Kealey, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
