'Best bar in the world': West Peoria tavern creates international community over 41 years
Walking into Jimmy’s Bar, customers will find a hodgepodge of photos, Irish flags and knickknacks. Over the years, the collection has migrated onto the ceiling and out into the bar’s covered outdoor space.
Some of the décor – such as a mounted deer’s head in the outdoor seating area – have been gifts from local patrons. Other trinkets, like a light-up Guinness tapper, have come from friends abroad.
Photos depict family, friends, visitors and the history of the 41-year-old bar. Throughout its decades in business, Jimmy’s Bar has fostered a sense of community in Peoria and beyond.
“It’s the best bar in the world. It truly is. …,” said Tim Groom, who has patronized the business since it opened. “It’s a family.”
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‘A rite of passage’
Family has long been at the center of the establishment.
One of seven boys, owner Jimmy Spears worked alongside his brothers at the bar – situated at 2801 W. Farmington Road in West Peoria.
His father, Joe, also became a bartender during his retirement. Spears said the family would often joke that Joe had to work there because his wife “wanted him to get out of the house.”
Joking aside, Spears said his father “ran the show during the day. … Everybody loved my dad.”
As time went on, a third generation of the Spears family got involved. Jimmy’s daughter Grace Spears said Jimmy’s Bar has always been a part of her life.
Grace said helping out at the family business grew into something “like a rite of passage” for her and her 19 cousins – whether they were cleaning up the space on weekends or bartending as young adults.
Eventually, Grace began working as a hairdresser. Even then, however, she found time to stay involved at Jimmy's Bar.
“You have those days when I was driving to my other job and it's like, ‘Man, I really wish I was just at the bar,’ because it doesn't feel like a job,” Grace said. “Because you're just hanging out with people you know all the time.”
An opportunity to become more involved arose after the salon she worked at closed. Grace said she decided to spend a year at the bar before finding new work. During this time, she said the previous bar manager moved to a new job and suggested Grace fill the role.
“I don’t think a lot of people can say that they’ve worked with both their mom and dad,” she said, “and actually, me and my dad can both say that.”
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Creating a ‘sense of home’
Over the years, Grace said many of the bar’s customers have become like family, as well.
Some patrons, like Groom, have visited the business since it opened. Grace said Groom has known her family since he was in high school.
The bar also continues to draw in new customers. Grace said many of these first-time faces gradually become familiar friends.
This sense of community extends beyond Peoria – and even the United States.
Jimmy’s Bar and Carey’s Pub in Clonmel, Ireland, became sister bars in 2010. A year later, Jimmy said he visited Clonmel with a group of Peorians.
“We figured, well, we better make this partnership legit,” he said. “So, we went over there.”
The trips have since become a tradition, taking place in odd years. Jimmy said groups typically spend about eight days in Ireland and visit Clonmel, as well as other areas of the country.
The visits were put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic but saw a rebound this year. Jimmy said over 90 people went on the 2023 trip, requiring two tour buses. The sister bars also face off each year for a trivia tournament.
“It adds something to the trip,” he said.
The local connection with Ireland extends beyond the sister bars, though. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Peoria and Clonmel becoming sister cities.
“When you go over there, it gives you a sense of home and gives you something like, ‘Hey, I know somebody or something in this town,’” Jimmy said.
In September, Jimmy said a group from Clonmel will visit Peoria City Hall before visiting Jimmy’s Bar.
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The next 41 years
There have been challenges along the way, of course.
Jimmy said the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the bar just before St. Patrick’s Day in 2020 and described it as “a real worry.”
He said there are always challenges or things to fix when it comes to running a business. In the end, though, Jimmy's Bar has continued.
“After 41 years, sometimes you roll with the punches,” Jimmy said.
A Facebook post celebrating the anniversary of Jimmy’s Bar describes its namesake as “The man, the myth, the legend” who made the business possible.
As for Jimmy himself, though, the last four decades would not have been possible without the support of his family, friends and dedicated employees.
Jimmy said he hopes to see the family business continue long into the future. Grace said she plans to continue taking on more responsibilities as time goes on, and Jimmy said he has two other daughters, Alice and Maeve, who are also in the area.
“Hopefully, they’ll enjoy it as much as I have,” Jimmy said. “I think they are, you know? They say the next 41 is a lot easier.”
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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Jimmy's Bar in West Peoria, IL, in business 41 years
