Lawrence, Kansas – With a 400-lb tombstone in the wall, a hidden rugby clubhouse upstairs, and nearly 100 years of University of Kansas (KU) history plastered on the walls, Johnny’s tavern is full of surprises. Opening in 1953, the bar has stood the test of time.
The once dive bar populated by a mix of blue-collar workers, the sand-rat bikers and KU rugby athletes has become a family-friendly student staple in the college town of Lawrence.
Johnny Wilson, namesake and original owner of the tavern, turned a farm-supply store owned by his father into a bar.
The KU rugby team experienced difficulty finding a bar that would host them and their opponents after a game. Johnny’s did not turn them away; soon, it became a popular student bar. In 1978, rugby player Rick Renfro took over the bar.
Shortly after, in the 80s, food was introduced but only with the intention of curbing drunkenness. Burgers were cooked behind the bar, and fries were soon to follow. Today, Johnny’s has eight burgers on the menu, and the son of Rick Renfro and current owner Spencer Renfro shares that the menu has expanded quite a bit in the last five to ten years.
The tavern has classic bar food like wings, a wide variety of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and an extensive pizza menu.
Johnny has undergone menu expansions and physical expansions as well. Despite the construction and several major floods, the original bar that Johnny’s opened still serves the KU community daily.
Keith Tracy, a KU alum in 1988, shares that after returning to Lawrence for the first time in 36 years, Johnny’s was a mandatory stop. Tracy shares that while the restaurant now has an extensive menu and a wall or two may have been removed, some things remain the same. “We’d always party upstairs, there’d be bikers downstairs and all the college kids would go upstairs.”
The upstairs of Johnny’s was recently renovated and is still a go-to spot for college students. Known as “Up and Under,” the line to get in will go downstairs and out the door on a Friday night or game night. At first glance, the upstairs is modernized and doesn’t have as much Kansas memorabilia, but with the brick walls signed by students and a neon sign that reads “Up and Under the Influence,” there’s no shortage of character.
Walking towards the bathroom upstairs, one may spot a sign: “Do not enter Kansas Rugby Clubhouse.” The Clubhouse, established in 1981, exudes KU pride. Walls are covered in Rugby team photos and polos collected from opponents. In the back room of the clubhouse, cases are filled with trophies earned over the years- including one with a slot machine earned in Las Vegas. Complete with a bar and a hand-painted sign from the 80s, the clubhouse still hosts rugby teams today.
Tracy said, “We would party with the Rugby boys upstairs, and when we won the [basketball] championship, everyone was here. I remember Larry Brown was up there with two cheerleaders under each arm.” In 1988, the KU basketball team won the national championship while Brown coached; 34 years later, when KU won the national title again (in 2022), Johnny’s was still a popular place to watch the game and celebrate the win.
Waitress Jewel Ziilengrich shares, “You can watch games in other places in Lawrence, but here it can be a blue-collar worker, then a lawyer or doctor, then a group of six college kids, and they all share a love for Johnny’s and KU. The music is loud, the people are loud, they come here for the energy. You can hear the reaction wherever you are here if something happens during the game.”
Renfro says, “There’s so much history around this place. If you’ve gone to KU, you’ve been here, and it means so much to so many people.”
Renfro estimates that 90% of their clientele has some KU affiliation, and Johnny’s has no shortage of KU pride. Jayhawk sports photos cover the walls, pictures of James Naismith and articles about iconic KU sports moments give the restaurant character.
“Betty’s,” the back dining room that gets its name from the gravestone of Betty Gailes, who died in 1911, has banners hanging from each year the basketball program has won a national championship. While the owners are unsure who Gailes is, her gravestone was found when she expanded Johnny’s and is now permanently on the restaurant’s wall.
The location on 2nd Street is the original location, but Johnny’s now has a few places in Lawrence.
Ricky Younger, former KU student and bartender at Johnny’s, said, “That place has been there forever and has so much character. The pizza is great, the beer is great, the place is great.”
Those fans will find their way into Johnny’s when playing rival team Kansas State. Whether cheering for KU, visiting Lawrence, cheering for a home team or looking for a place to eat on game day, Johnny’s is worth the stop.
Renfro says, “It feels like home to everyone around here, and that’s what we’re all about.”
Lawrence locals may have several stories from Johnny’s, but first-time visitors can also enjoy the history-rich bar.
