Who is Rip?

Where Great Food and Game Day Energy Meet in Cedar Rapids

Traci "Rip" Ripperda grew up in a small town in northwest Iowa, where she spent her early years working at her family's sports bar, The Trophy Case. Although life eventually took her in different directions, she never outgrew the bar business. As the saying goes, "You can take the girl out of the bar, but you can't take the bar out of the girl."


Rip met her future husband, Tyrone "Ty" Schwieger, in a bar in Iowa City. At the time, Ty was working for Fleck Sales, slinging beer across eastern Iowa. A Cedar Rapids native, Ty has spent more than 20 years coaching high school football and has been deeply involved in the local sports community as both an athlete and coach.

Family of four in white shirts and baseball caps smiling on a grassy field at dusk.
Four people posing by a pool in front of a wooden fence, smiling and relaxed.

Together, Rip and Ty planted roots on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids, where they are raising their two sons, Max and Ace. With the boys heavily involved in sports and Ty continuing to coach football at Prairie High School, their family has become deeply connected to the community they call home.


As the southwest side of Cedar Rapids continues to grow, Rip and Ty saw the perfect opportunity to combine their passion for great food, cold beer, sports, and bringing people together. Opening Rip's Bar & Grill is the realization of a lifelong dream—a welcoming, family-friendly sports bar where friends, neighbors, and fellow fans can gather to enjoy great meals, catch the game, and make lasting memories.