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A supper club rooted in the legacy of a Des Moines visionary!

Tom Archer believed a fine evening ought to belong to everybody. Where the supper is hearty, the drinks are poured right, and the music carries the evening.

Black and white illustration of a man pouring champagne into a tower of glasses on a table.

Tom Archer’s Poor Man’s Country Club is nestled beneath the beautifully restored Val Air Ballroom, in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Enjoy a good supper, order another round and stay awhile. In the spirit of the old ballroom days, the Poor Man’s Country Club was made for evenings filled with food, friends and music just beyond the dining room.

text that reads 'the best nights are still ahead'.

Quotation text stating 'Right Under The Val Air Ballroom!' in black cursive font on a white background.

Two men, including Tom Archer, in formal suits sitting around a small table with a cake on it, possibly celebrating an event, in black and white.

Tom Archer (1895-1963) was a major player in the big band and the ballroom movement of the 1930’s - 40’s. At his peak, he operated nine ballrooms across the Midwest, Val Air being his flagship property. He was a founding member of the National Ballroom Association and worked on a national level to improve laws for the music industry as well as fellow ballroom operators.

Upon his sudden death in 1963, a band leader wrote, “No one did more to keep people dancing in the Midwest than Tom Archer."