Jim’s Alley Bar Adds Cozy North Woods Vibe to East Crossroads

(Editors note, this article originally was published Jan. 18, 2023)

By Kevin Collison

Jim’s Alley Bar, the new creation by the owner of King G, is about celebrating family roots and chilling in a cozy North Woods-feeling place with an ice cold yard beer served in a koozie.

“It’s demographic is totally mixed at this place,” said Eric Flanagan. “We’ve had everyone from an older couple from Topeka to a neighborhood 25 year-old next door living in a flashy apartment.”

Jim’s is named after Flanagan’s maternal grandfather, Jim Pagliocco, a Jersey guy who served in the Army in World War II and fought in the Battle of the Bulge before returning to raise his family working as a mailman and later co-owning a trash hauling business.

His image beams above the back of 30-foot bar, the centerpiece of the place Flanagan designed to recall the feel of an old VFW club with pinewood paneling, wood parquet floor and old beer signs decorating the wall.

On one wall, the banner of Pagliocco’s unit, the 44th Infantry Division, hangs in the middle of a family photo gallery.

The vibe in Jim’s is a blend of VFW and North Woods supper club.

Jim’s, which opened in late November, also has the cozy vibe of a Minnesota or Wisconsin supper club, something the owner says other customers have noted.

To get into Jim’s, you enter through a side door on the east side of the building in Artist Alley, a funky East Crossroads walking destination that’s a colorful riot of street murals.

A doorman greets visitors and if there are seats available, ushers you inside. If not, patrons are directed to King G next door until a seat opens. Flanagan said he wants customers to be comfortable at Jim’s and not feel crowded. It has a 58-person capacity.

He had the concept for Jim’s before he opened King G at 500 E. 18th St. in September 2021. That bar and deli has a much more hip, urban feel and features big street art murals. Flanagan wanted Jim’s to be simpler.

Bar manager Gus Cobb came up with a few basic old-style cocktails with all ingredients made from scratch, ice cold beers including Coors Banquet and Hamm’s, and some local craft beers on tap including City Barrel RAD AF and Alma Mader IPA.

On the food side, kitchen manager Zac Sach came up with specialties including Jim’s Beef, the Chicago-style Italian beef offering; Taylor Ham with its namesake ham straight from New Jersey and a variety of sliders.

A photo of Jim Pagliocco, the inspiration for Jim’s, hangs above the back bar.

The new place also features a shuffleboard table, vintage jukebox and several big screen televisions to watch games.

And in a continuing nod to his grandfathers’ military service, his paternal grandfather was a Navy veteran of World War II, Flanagan is setting aside one percent of Jim’s profits each quarter for an organization associated with vets or first responders.

The organization for the first quarter of this year is the Kansas City Veterans Administration Medical Center. A minimum of $1,500 will be donated each quarter.

Hours for Jim’s are Thursday through Mondays. It opens Thursday and Monday at 5 p.m., and the weekend days at 11 a.m. Closing time is 1:30 a.m.

Flanagan credits his employees as contributing greatly to the success of King G, and anticipates the same atmosphere at Jim’s.

“I can create the aesthetics of a place, but I can’t get in front of every customer,” he said. “Our employees take hospitality seriously.”