Mildred Armstead Smith would have liked Mo-Mo's Piano Bar.
The Orpheum Theatre's resident lounge, named after Smith, has the smoky ambiance of the Roaring '20s -- plush velvet stools and chairs, the dark wood bar, bartender in a bow tie and white baby grand piano in the corner.
"She would have loved this place," Cindy Waitt said of her grandmother. "She would have sat right down and played the piano."
Because of Norman and Ted Waitt's generous donations to the Orpheum Theatre Preservation Project (OTPP), the Waitt children, including Cindy and Marcia, were allowed to name the piano bar after their grandmother. Mo-Mo was the nickname they gave her. Mo-Mo was also the grandmother who loaned Norman and Ted $10,000 to start Gateway Computers more than a decade ago.
"I think it was always the intention to have a place within the Orpheum that could serve as an upscale lounge," Cindy said. "I think it turned out beautifully. It has a nice look."
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The Orpheum Board oversees the management of the bar and restaurant, at 526 Pierce St. Cindy's only connection is through her seat on the board.
"I do help with some communication, but the Waitts aren't the active managers by any means," she said.
The bar opened in June, following a renovation that incorporated the same design and colors of the theater.
Three small shops formerly occupied the space. Jeff Byrne, Orpheum operations manager, said contractors demolished the space back to the original structure. The Orpheum Box Office was also built into the space.
Almost everyone who walks into the bar notices the ceiling fans, Byrne said. The fans are on a belt and pulley system run by one motor, again giving the bar a 1920s look.
Six light fixtures on the walls are a registered set. They came from an old schoolhouse in Cleveland. Ray Shepardson of GSI Architects of Cleveland, who specializes in theater restoration and helped with the Orpheum project, found the light fixtures.
The piano was donated by Jim Yanney of Sioux City. It was at Central High School before moving to West High School, then eventually taken to Western Iowa Tech Community College students to rebuild and restore before going to Mo-Mo's.
Two live music venues perform every Friday. A pianist plays from 6 to 8 p.m., followed by a father-son guitar duo.
Byrne said the much hasn't been done with the storefront of the restaurant yet. Glass doors could be installed that would open to provide an open-air bar during the summer with chairs and tables on the sidewalk.
Photographs decorate the bar, including photos from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s of both of the Waitts' grandmothers. The bar has also started a tradition -- every entertainer who performs at the Orpheum autographs a photo to be hung in the bar. The line of photos will eventually wrap around the entire bar.
The bar and restaurant are open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday for lunch and on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mo-Mo's is also open every event night.
The menu includes sandwiches, appetizers and desserts.
"It's growing," Cindy said of Mo-Mo's. "I think most people think of it as open only on event nights, but it is more than that. I hope Sioux City supports this place. I think it's a great addition to downtown."
