Owner of Hello, Marjorie is opening a new sports bar

• There will be TVs, beers and seltzers, but expect the vibe to be more similar to his cocktail bars than wall-to-wall neon beer signs and sticky floors, Tillinghast tells Axios.

How it started: Tillinghast, a downtown resident since 2016 and major Cyclones fan, wanted a sports bar where locals could easily walk over and hang out.

• He lives in the Equitable Building and has spent the last six months talking with the landlord about plans for the vacant ground-floor space.

State of play: The 1,400-square-foot space will feature a shotgun bar and be reminiscent of a "cozy" establishment you'd walk into in the middle of Chicago or New York.

• The cocktail program will feature classic drinks and event-themed specials for tournaments like Wimbledon and The Masters.
• But when Iowa State plays, "sound TVs will be all Cyclones," Tillinghast jokes.

The big picture: Tillinghast says the project is also about making his own neighborhood a better place.

• The downtown business district has struggled with foot traffic in recent years and his nearby properties are more destination spots than places people stumble upon.

• Once the new spot opens, he envisions bar crawls between all his properties.
• "I miss a lot of business sometimes because people don't want to just come to Marjorie," Tillinghast says. "They want to have the ability to walk to other places really quickly."

The intrigue: The Des Moines Athletic Club's name is a nod to the early 1900s, when major cities had grand athletic clubs housed in striking buildings — a style Tillinghast hopes to channel within the Equitable's architecture.

What's next: Renovations are already underway.