Turning the Freight House into a destination
When Penguin’s Comedy Club co-owners Jeff Johnson and Bob Eckles began seeking a new location for the entertainment venue, Johnson knew he wanted a spot that could also accommodate a restaurant.
Their plans expanded to include a sports bar and a piano bar when they found the Freight House in downtown Davenport, giving Quad-Citians a one-stop destination for all sorts of entertainment needs.
“I wanted to have things that would not necessarily compete with each other and would stand on their own as a viable business,” Johnson said. “If somebody came down and just wanted to go to one of the events or one of the shows or one of the restaurants, they could do that, or they could come down and package stuff together.”
Penguin’s was the first of the venues to open, in December, followed by the Balls and Pucks Sports Cafe in February and Nan’s Piano Bar in April.
The last component of the revamped Freight House will be Ripley Street Grille, which is scheduled to open June 23.
Although Penguin’s seats fewer people now than at its previous location in Bettendorf, Johnson said he has heard from both audience members and comedians that the new venue provides a better atmosphere for stand-up shows.
“The shows are better, the crowds are better and it allows us to service the crowd better,” he said.
During Nan’s opening weekend, Johnson said staff at the piano and martini bar had to turn some people away because it was filled to capacity. Business is also picking up at the sports bar now that the weather is warming.
“When you think about it on paper and start to lay it all out and say, ‘This is what we’re going to do,’ you hope that people recognize that it’s a good facility and the food is good and the entertainment is good,” he said. “Then when you start seeing that people are actually showing up, that’s really rewarding to see all of the hard work and the planning and things that you thought people would like, they do like.”
Once Ripley Street Grille opens, Johnson plans to offer VIP packages for people who want to eat dinner at the restaurant, attend a comedy show and finish the night at the piano bar. He is still working on the details of those packages because prices vary from night to night and from performer to performer for acts at both the comedy club and piano bar.
“(The Freight House) is a destination that all the businesses are working together to create the same type of experience,” he said. “We can leverage the marketing off of each other and also make it a place where people can come down and park in one spot and, between 5 p.m. and midnight or 1 a.m., can stay in the same facility and enjoy very different types of food and entertainment.”
Freight House spots at a glance
Penguin’s Comedy Club
At the Freight House location, Jeff Johnson said he and co-owner Bob Eckles are taking what they were doing at their previous site, at the Isle of Capri property in Bettendorf, and improving upon it. On weekends, Penguin’s hosts nationally touring comedians who are featured on the HBO and Comedy Central television networks. The venue also features other acts during the week and hosts an amateur night on the last Wednesday of each month.
Balls and Pucks Sports Cafe
The walls of the sports bar are filled with memorabilia from area sports teams and events. There also are four big-screen TVs to show broadcasts of sports events. Deck seating is available, weather permitting. In addition to drinks, the bar features a menu developed by the executive chef overseeing the soon-to-open Ripley Street Grille.
“The food in the sports bar is actually really good,” Johnson said. “It’s bar food, but it is really, really good food.”
Nan’s Piano Bar
From Thursday through Saturday nights, the martini and piano bar brings in nationally known piano players who perform singalong hits requested by the audience.
“A lot of times, like in Omaha, someone will come up and throw $5 down for the (University of ) Iowa fight song because it’s right on the border there with Council Bluffs (Iowa),” said Bill Whitman, a professional piano player who performed at Nan’s during the opening weekend. “Then, of course, someone will put down $6 to stop that and play the Nebraska fight song. And then the Iowa fan will say, ‘Forget that, here’s $10. Go back to Iowa.’ ”
Ripley Street Grille (opening June 23)
The main dining area in the restaurant will feature views of the Mississippi River and Davenport skybridge. Jesse Anderson, the general manager of Ripley Street Grille, said the restaurant will keep the exposed brick walls and incorporate unique lighting aspects such as a glowing bar.
“We’re trying to balance out the rustic nature of the existing structure with a more modern look,” Anderson explained.
Ripley will specialize in fast lunches for people who work at downtown businesses and upscale dinners that are priced to allow families to come back a couple of times a month.
If you go
What: Freight House — Penguin’s Comedy Club, Balls and Pucks Sports Cafe, Nan’s Piano Bar, Ripley Street Grille
Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday
Where: 421 W. River Drive, Davenport
How much: Prices for Penguin’s and Nan’s vary according to the act and the day of the week.
On the Web: penguinscomedy club.com /qc_penguins.htm
Stephanie De Pasquale can be contacted at (563) 333-2639 or sdepasquale@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com/goanddo.