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Belly Up

Dec 1, 2011

Lime Lounge spreads its wings in new East Village location

Sarah Humphreys and Noah O’Toole are two employees are excited about moving to a larger building in the East Village, allowing for more customers, more space at the bar and a bigger dance floor.

By Jared Curtis
jared@dmcityview.com

Ever since the writers of “South Park” made light of it in a 1999 episode, “Prehistoric Man,” it’s been a running joke that Iowa is almost a decade behind the coastal cities when it comes to trends in fashion and music. Anyone who is into electronic club music knows Des Moines is not considered a hot spot for the genre. The owners of Lime Lounge would like to change that.

They took the small, seemingly out-of-place bar from its hiding spot along the Ingersoll crawl to a new place to grow on a lively corner in the East Village.

“Ingersoll was alright for us, but it wasn’t necessarily the best fit for our concept. We were really pushing the envelope there,” said Lime Lounge co-owner George Qualley. “Our concept has always been more of what you’d see in bigger cities, something that kind of pushes the limits a bit more. The East Village is definitely a better fit for what we’re trying to do.”

Qualley said the neighbors think so, too, and as the new Lime Lounge prepares to open on Dec. 9, he said the support from the neighborhood association, owners of the Blazing Saddle, Buddy’s and the nearby Zombie Burger has been overwhelming.

“They’ve been real accommodating to us,” Qualley said. “Our neighbors believe that if we get more things going on, more people will come to the East Village, and more people is better for everyone. That’s how we feel, too, and we’re really happy to be a part of that.”

It’s progressive, he said, which is exactly the business philosophy Qualley and his brother and business partner, Cornelius Qualley, were looking for when the original Lime Lounge lease expired a couple months ago. With its new location, the DJ and martini lounge is able to expand into more available space and complement the neighborhood while also bringing something new to the block.

“We’re more like an ultra lounge feel, which is something no one else is doing,” Qualley said. “At weddings, it’s always ’80s music and old hip hop. Pretty much any bar here, that’s the same thing you hear, and it kills me. There’s a huge difference between what you like listening to on the radio, and what you want to dance to.”

George and Cornelius Qualley started out running their DJ business, Thunder & Lightning Sound and Lighting, about 15 years ago. Two years ago, when they opened the Lime Lounge, it wasn’t because they necessarily wanted to be bar owners, George said, but rather it was a way to “expose people to something they probably haven’t been exposed to before.”

Along with enhancing the electronic music scene, the Qualley brothers plan to continue offering an occasional Salsa Night, as they did in their old location. While the nearby Continental houses a jazz jive and the House of Bricks can get heavy, George Qualley is excited to host Salsa Night as another alternative to the East Village options.

“There’s actually a huge salsa scene in Des Moines, and I really enjoy it,” he said. “It’s fun to see people out dancing and having a great time. You watch it, and you want to learn how to do it, because it’s so much fun. We feel it’s something different that you don’t see a lot of places. And, if you just happen to be here on a night out, it’s so fun just to watch.” CV