Lyle's Pub
From GrinnellWiki
Name
Lyle's Pub was originally slated to be called "The Wedge," as per a campus-wide vote in Spring of 2007. This name made reference to a long-standing Grinnell tradition of writing in Wedge Antilles, famous Star Wars wingman, as a no-confidence vote in SGA elections. In the fall of 2007, however, a student initiative (authored by Josie Gerrietts '10) overturned the original name in favor of "Lyle's." Many students believed that Wedge's actual winning of a vote betrayed his reputation as wingman and were glad to adopt Lyle's as a suitable replacement.
History
When the Iowa drinking age changed from 18 to 21 in the late 1980s, the old campus pub (located below Main Hall) closed down. In the early 1990s, the space reopened as "Bob's Underground" coffee shop, which sold cigarettes but not alcohol.
In fall of 2005, the idea of forging a new campus pub occurred at a dinner between SGA Cabinet and former Vice President for Student Services Tom Crady. The group met at Pagliai's in town to discuss general prospects for the year. As Crady recalled favorite memories from his time at Grinnell as an RLC, the students learned a pub once existed. What started as a joke of reinventing a campus pub quickly became a fascination among the students, who initiated and continued conversations with Crady and other college administrators about reopening such a space.
Location
The timing of the project could hardly have been better. In the Fall of 2006, the Joe Rosenfield '25 Center was still under construction, and a 30 x 50 shell space remained in its basement without purpose. While some were interested in converting the space into a campus bands practice area, concerns about the noise affecting operations on the first floor of the building during daytime hours stalled these ideas from progressing. Instead, the space emerged as a suitable option for creation of a pub. Investigations began on the costs involved with transforming the space into a bar area.
