Downtown restaurant owner dies

Last edited 3:16 p.m., Dec. 27, 2022

Danny Schlink, who operated J.O.B Public House and formerly Grad School in downtown Springfield, has died.

Multiple social media posts from friends and fellow downtown business owners began pouring in Dec. 23 to mourn Schlink’s death. One was from Stick It In Your Ear, a record shop located nearby the J.O.B pub, 319 E. Walnut St.

“You were a kind soul and huge personality,” a Facebook post from the record store reads. “Downtown is forever changed and you will be missed.”

Another memorial post came from Karen McQueary, co-owner of Hotel Vandivort.

"Daniel Schlink was one of those rare individuals who’d have an idea then poured all of his sweat and heart into making it real. Then he’d do it again and again,” a public Facebook post from McQueary reads. ”When you encountered Danny you would either leave having had a great laugh or being inspired by his most recent scheming. It is a deeply felt loss. Our hearts go out to his family and all those who loved him.”

The cause of Schlink’s death and the date of his passing were not included in social media posts.

Schlink, 41, was assisted by business partner Shane Rice in opening Grad School and J.O.B, said Jason Rice, Shane’s brother and a friend of Schlink. Shane Rice died in a shooting in 2021, according to KY3 reporting.

Schlink, who also operated the Prime Time ping pong bar at 317 E. Walnut St., combined Grad School into J.O.B last year after the Grad School building on South Jefferson Avenue was demolished to make way for an apartment complex parking lot.

A GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign has been set up to assist eight J.O.B and Prime Time employees in covering “their immediate loss of income.” The crowdfunding campaign had raised $12,145 of a $3,500 goal as of 10:06 a.m.

It's unclear if the businesses are now closed for good. Calls to the bars have gone unanswered. 

Schlink launched Grad School in 2008, followed by J.O.B in 2010, according to Springfield Business Journal archives. J.O.B is known for its whiskey selection, while Grad School is locally famous for the Full Ride burger.