Q&A with Jaclyn Roney, bartender at The Spot Tavern, 2202 S.W. Buchanan St.

How long have you worked here at The Spot?

Since the new owner took over – about three weeks ago.

How do you like it?

I like it here. It kind of has a small town bar feel. Seriously, everybody who walks in here knows everybody. The guys really relate to me. It’s an older crowd, so you don’t really have to deal with what you would at a college bar. They just come in here after they get off work to have conversation with somebody and relax. It’s nice – it’s laid back. As long as you’re friendly to them and remember their names, they’ll keep coming back.

It sounds like this isn’t your first bartending job…

I work at Heart Attack Jack’s, also. And I worked at Shawnee Country Club for a long time doing bartending and the beer cart.

What do you like most about working here?

I was a public relations major, so I like the people connection. I like getting to know people and their backgrounds and having that interaction every day, hearing a new story every day. And you make a lot of friends that way, and it feels good that they come back to see somebody.

Every bartender has at least a few crazy stories. Tell us one of yours.

I had one yesterday. He’s going to be very embarrassed that I told this story. We have this regular that came in. I was wearing a breast cancer awareness shirt and it said “I ♥ Boobs” and had the ribbon, and on the back it said “Save Second Base.” He was like, well I know what first base is, and I know what home base is, and I think I know what second base is, can you tell me what third base is? I’m like, I’m not comfortable having this conversation with you. (Laughs.) So all of the guys down the line were like, do you have kids? He’s like, yeah. They said, then you’ve been to third base.

What kind of crowd hangs out here?

Most of them have been here for years. They’re a little wary about the change in ownership, but they’re accepting it and coming back, and that’s what we like to see. They told me, if you’re here we’ll come back. So that feels good.

If you weren't working behind the bar, what would you be doing?

I got my public relations degree because I wanted to be a party planner, so I guess bartending actually fits in well with that. There’s just not the market for it here in Topeka, Kan., and in Kansas City there’s just so much of it. I’m Topeka-bound because my dad’s got cancer, and I’m not going to leave ‘til I know…

You’re pretty stunning to look at. You must have heard more than your fair share of horrible pick-up lines…

I had this one – what’s that movie? Pretty in Pink – with the Asian kid. I had one of those moments where he’s like, “Are your legs tired, baby? Because you’re walking through my mind, baby.” That was probably the cheesiest one I’ve heard, just because of the way it came out. I was like, oh, you’re so cute. You just smile and say, ‘Okay. Thank you.’