The Shipley family knows how to have a good time. They also know how to show others a good time.

Lona Shipley and her husband John, owners of Welch Avenue’s newest bar, The Cue Club located at 124 Welch Ave., have long been a part of Campustown. But ask many Iowa State students what occupied the space above Tazzles before and you’ll probably get a blank stare.

“Everybody that came in here was under 21,” Lona Shipley said. “But when we started serving alcohol, that changed.”

Now that they serve alcohol, everyone is at least 21.

Jeremy Shipley, Lona’s son, gave his parents the idea of how to draw the hordes of college students who stroll up and down Welch Avenue into their business. He said to change the arcade into a bar.

“Yeah, I influenced them to change over,” 22-year-old Jeremy Shipley said. “But it was more than just my interests I was thinking of.”

Mother agrees. With the arcade in the Memorial Union taking away much of their business, the bar idea was looking better and better to the Shipleys.

“Well, it was like it was always a possibility (to make it a bar) if the arcade didn’t do well,” Lona Shipley said. “Of course, Mom and Dad didn’t really want alcohol. We just never saw ourselves owning a bar.”

But her son helped convince her otherwise, and has assumed the role of manager and bartender. Though having never had any previous barkeeping experience, he found himself easing into the task rather well.

“The first week you learn 90 percent of everything you need to know,” he said. “As long as you can do shots, shooters, fuzzy navels and fill a pitcher, you know it all.”

The progression from an arcade to a pool bar seemed an almost natural one for the Shipleys. Zap Arcade already had six pool tables. With the addition of a nine foot table, two more used for leagues, a bar and about 46 weeks worth of redesign, Campustown was given a pool hall.

“That was something we thought this area didn’t have,” Lona Shipley said. “But we really had no idea what it would become until we were done.”

The Shipleys now hope The Cue will become a new stop on the pool league circuit. But for students just looking for a distraction from homework, The Cue Club offers free pool on Sunday and Monday nights.