Located in the heart of Indianola, Mojo’s dive bar is a favorite among Simpson students and community members.
Senior, Jordan McAlexander, started working at Mojo’s a little over a year ago but has been a customer far longer.
“I’ve been going to the bar for quite a few years before I was actually even working there, and that’s where I met the manager, Drew, and he’s great. Everyone who ever goes in there always loves talking to him if they get the chance to, and he loves seeing everybody in there,” he said. “That’s how I got the job. It was through him – I was just hanging at the bar often, and he was like, ‘Hey, you want to get paid to hang out here,’ and I was like yeah, I would love to.”
Meanwhile, another Simpson student, senior Elise Skelton, recently joined the team. “I started working at Mojo’s about a month ago, and I got the job because two of my close friends, Kylie Potratz and Jessica Stringer, had been working there since the summer, and they really enjoyed it,” she said.
McAlexander and Skelton both see their place at the bar as one among family and love the close-knit community it has created among Simpson students and community members.
“Being there, either as a patron or a worker, it’s a real close family. With Indianola being a smaller town, everyone kind of knows everybody in there, and I’ve always enjoyed that about the bar, and that’s why I started working there in the first place,” McAlexander said.
Skelton added, “I agree that it’s family-like and close-knit because everyone knows everyone. It’s common for the Mojos community to hug one another and say we love each other at the end of the night. While it may just seem like a typical small-town bar at first glance, the staff and regulars at Mojos really all care about each other.”
With there being a handful of other places to eat and drink, and Des Moines being a short 20-minute drive from Indianola, what is it about the atmosphere in Mojo’s that constantly attracts the Simpson community?
“Mojo’s is a place where Simpson students, alumni, and community members can get together and have a good time,” Skelton said. “It’s not always plausible to fit a large group of people in an apartment or dorm, so Mojo’s is a great place to socialize off campus while still within walking distance. You never know who you’ll run into while you’re there, and there’s almost always a great conversation to have.”
If you’ve ever been to Mojo’s, you know exactly what she means, and if you haven’t yet, it’s about time you make it over to the local bar and check it out. Not only will you see fellow Simpson students enjoying each other’s company, but you will also be greeted and served by your fellow classmates.
As the bar’s bouncer, McAlexander is one of the first faces you will see when you get there. Since he is in charge of checking IDs at the door, he’s constantly seeing Simpson students make their way over from the college.
“There will be students I know outside of the bar where I will have to turn them away, or I’ll have to deny them or take their ID,” he said. “That’s always kind of awkward; being a part of the campus and then also being a part of the place that denies you of where you can or can’t go. But it’s never been a big deal for me. They seem to be fine with it and understand it. It was awkward the first time I did it, that’s for sure.”
And as Mojo’s bartender, Skelton knows all the hacks on having a great night out.
“I would highly recommend drinking and hanging out at Mojo’s because the drinks are cheap, lines are short, good music [usually] plays, it’s safe and welcoming, and there will always be a friendly and/or familiar face there. It’s an experience you can’t get at larger bars in Des Moines, Iowa City, or Ames,” she said.
