Tin Lizzie's Sports Bar welcomes guests to Casey

A popular eatery in Casey received an added amenity recently that officials say will be sure to bring even more people to the small town on the border of Adair and Guthrie counties.

Tin Lizzie’s Sports Bar held a grand opening recently with live music. It’s an added venue of Pioneer’s Pub and Grub, which opened in 2019, and will be managed by Pioneer’s manager Stacey Wagner. Pioneer’s will now include the restaurant, a party room and sports bar.

Tin Lizzie’s is owned by Corey and Colleen Conrad of West Des Moines, who have invested an extensive amount of time and resources into flipping buildings in Casey’s downtown district. Colleen grew up in Casey, as the daughter of the funeral director, and has many fond memories of her childhood there.

The sports bar’s name comes from the fact that Model T Ford automobiles were once sold in the same building. Tin Lizzie was the nickname given to those cars. A garage portion of Tin Lizzie’s is named Joe’s Garage in honor of Conrad’s father, an avid car man. A car in the sports bar is intended to be a photo opportunity for guests.

“My parents kind of instilled volunteering in me. I got involved probably seven or eight years ago now with the historical society doing research. You realize how much history there is in these small towns, and from there, I fell more and more in love with the back story of the town,” Conrad said. “It spiraled from there, and long story short, I ended up with six buildings. My goal has been to renovate those and try something that works or put them in the hands of someone who can carry them on.”

Motivation, creativity and belief are three things that Conrad says have helped projects she’s had her hand in be successful. Grant funding has also been instrumental.

Features of Tin Lizzie’s are two sports simulators, a bar with food, billiards, shuffleboard, a stage for live music, and more.

“It’s great to see so many people with so many different talents and ideas [involved],” Conrad said. “It’s a matter of finding people to help you with your dreams and then let the experts do their part. It’s been great.”

Tin Lizzie’s hours are posted on their Facebook page, Tin Lizzie’s Sports Bar.