Paul Kroeker has been a bartender at Kirby’s for 18 years. He’s seen thousands of student and non-student customers and countless bands playing music of all genres. Books are kept next to the bar as reference materials for people debating almost any topic. 

“When the current owner wanted to get rid of our books, we were like ‘No, we use those books for our arguments,’” said Kevin Smith, a Kirby’s regular. 

Through the youthful energy of college students permeates the warmth of a strong company history.

There are customers who have been coming to Kirby’s since it opened 41 years ago, Kroeker said. 

“Some of the old time customers still consider me a newbie,” he said. 

Smith holds a master’s degree in music theory/composition from WSU and has been a regular at Kirby’s since 1981. For him, the hip crowds that pass through are what keep him coming back. 

“It’s a wide mix of people, and mostly left leaning. It’s one of the few liberal holdouts,” Smith said. 

For current students, Kirby’s is a place where a cool environment with a cool staff offers escape from academic obligations. 

James Farmer is a graduate student studying studio art and takes advantage of Kirby’s closeness to campus.

“I come to Kirby’s to get away from school work. I work in my studio right across the street, and I’m there a lot and sometimes I feel like I’m a slave to the studio. This is where I go when I just want to get a drink,” Farmer said. 

Being around students is just as important to the employees as well. 

“Over the summer when there aren’t classes, we just can’t wait for school to start,” Kroeker said. 

While he didn’t complete his degree at WSU, Kroeker gets the college experience vicariously from the students who come through. 

“We’ve always had students from all around the world,” he said. 

Being around people from different cultures contributes to being a more well-rounded citizen, he said. 

Incredible experiences can be found in any field of work or the most unlikely of places. Bartending is just the same, and can reveal much more about the world than could ever be guessed.