Brothers Jerry Cozadd and Derek Cozadd of Meriden have purchased the historic downtown building at 111 E. Main Street. They plan to revitalize and renovate the historic property before its reopening as a bar and grill.
by Holly Allen
In the 133 years since its foundation was set, the historic building at 111 E. Main Street in Meriden has served the community in its many iterations — as a pool hall, Model T garage, and most recently, as a bar and grill.
Mid-summer of last year, the building changed hands, and from Game Day Bar and Grill became The 1890 Ice House, a tribute to the year of the building’s first footings, and the glass cooler which resides in the corner.
While brothers Jerry Cozadd and Derek Cozadd, both Meriden, had been looking for a property to purchase, it wasn’t with any intention of opening a bar and grill — they were looking for a place to house their internet side business, dubiology.com, which breeds and sells feeder insects for owners of reptiles and birds.
However, the brothers quickly came to the realization that the historic building would better serve the community by continuing as a bar and grill.
“We laugh to recall the response from community members who were outright angered at the thought of a bug store in town,” Jerry said. “It was funny to hear how far the stories got — at one point someone called it a worm petting store — but I think everyone was relieved to hear that it was going to stay a bar. A small town needs a bar and restaurant.”
Jerry, an auto parts salesman for Midway by day, and Derek, who works for Barry Plastics in Lawrence, estimate that renovations to both the inside and outside of the building in order to preserve it and to make it more functional, will cost nearly $250,000. To help supplement the funds necessary to complete the project, the Cozadds appealed to the city to name the deteriorating building a blight on the community in its current state in order to apply for grant funding. Once the city complied, the brothers began the process of filling out applications.
Their efforts have already begun to pay off, with one such application being awarded nearly $34,000 in monies in the form of a Historic Economic Asset Lifeline grant through the Kansas Department of Commerce in conjunction with the Patterson Family Foundation. The award, which is to be applied to interior improvements to the structure, is intended for “the immediate stabilization of the building.”
The grant monies are a 1:1 match — the funds are only awarded provided the same amount, at least, is spent on repairs out of the pockets of the owners, as well.
The award letter congratulates the brothers, and the town, on “developing a project that will restore a historic downtown building, benefit the community as an economic driver, and produce a positive impact for the entire state.”
Plans for the layout of the interior of the building change the blueprint of the current setup drastically. The kitchen will become five times larger, the bar area will move to the west side, with an expanded dining area to the east where the bar used to be. They hope to be able to further open up the wall which separates what used to be two separate buildings. They will also provide a better layout for updated electrical and plumbing, and upgraded bathrooms to make the building usable again for years to come.
Jerry and Derek have also applied for a separate grant which would be specific for renovations to the outside of the building, hoping to improve the it both structurally and aesthetically, with new siding, windows, and doors, fixing the roofing, and ensuring that the structure is weathertight.
“Meriden has lost several historic buildings in the past couple decades,” said Jerry. “We are going to make sure we don’t lose this one, too.”
The Cozadds have already made some improvements to the property; the outdoor courtyard has been cleaned up and a new, larger concrete pad poured. Eventually they would like to add an outdoor stage and pavilion for live music in the warmer seasons.
They are working on demolition on the interior, with plans to save and repair some of the historic textiles, such as the original tin ceiling which adorns the west side. They will be installing new subfloor, and building an interior stage for live music. The brothers intend to install an upgraded sound system, and have a contact for booking bands out of Nashville. They hope to provide all kinds of music for their patrons to enjoy.
They already have someone in mind to run the kitchen, and will be open for both lunch and dinner crowds, planning for hours of 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and 11 a.m. to midnight on weekends. They will serve traditional bar fare, as well as hold specialty nights for tacos, comfort foods, and steak.
They are hoping to be back open to the public sometime this spring.
“We just want to provide a place for everyone to come out and have a good time and a good meal with their community, and to create an atmosphere that people might seek out for tourism, as well,” stated Jerry. “We are looking at this as an investment into our community, and for something to do in retirement.”
Jerry and his wife, Gert, have two grown daughters, Alex, Meriden, a student at Rockhurst University, Kansas City, Mo., working toward a master’s degree in speech pathology, and Samantha, Kansas City, who owns a cosmetology business. Derek has a son, River, 10, who attends Jefferson West Elementary School.
“This is a whole new adventure we hadn’t planned on,” said Jerry. “We plan to take it slow, and do things right. We have lots of plans and ideas for later on, but, for now, we are just planting the seeds for a solid foundation and watching them grow.”