Thanks to its Florida-inspired vibe and its cheap drinks, J.J.'s Cool Change is a little oasis in the middle of Johnson County. Seashells decorate its bathrooms, and sometimes Eddie the bartender sports a guayabera shirt. This little neighborhood strip-mall bar, which is located across the street from the Johnson County Central Library, offers daily specials ranging from $1.75 small drafts on Mondays to free pool on Saturdays and Sundays. The most interesting and touching thing about the bar, though, is how it got its name. When owner Susan Flaskerud bought J.J.'s nearly five years ago, she added "Cool Change" to honor her brother, Mike, who died in 1999 (seven and a half weeks after their father died). "He really enjoyed Indian Rocks Beach in Florida on the Gulf Coast," Flaskerud says. "He and I used to go boating, and we always listened to the Little River Band." Mike's favorite song was "Cool Change," and underneath the bar's logo — a silhouette of a dolphin against a full moon — the sign reads: "Rock on, my brother!"
