Chew on This

The Franklin Street restaurant, which bills its pork tenderloins as “Iowa’s biggest and best,” announced Sept. 23 that it was on the market.

Haile Duncan’s award comes after she went from a single restaurant owner to a restaurateur in a matter of a few months with the openings of La Casita and Mamacita Taco Pub.

The sweet and salty snack shop opened at 118 Second St. SE on Aug. 30.

The new restaurant, a collaboration between Cedar Rapids restaurant group Fun Not Fancy and restaurateur Kory Nanke, tentatively plans to open Nov. 1.

“Unfortunately, due to ongoing staffing issues, I plan to sell the bakery. My wish it to sell to someone who wants to carry on making out great products,” owner Tom Schmitt said in a social media post.

The Kingston Village coffee shop plans to open a second location soon in Uptown Marion.

Sidekick Coffee & Books at 1310 1/2 Melrose Ave. in Iowa City started offering The Eat Shop’s cookies, cinnamon rolls, pecan rolls, kolaches and more as its exclusive provider of baked goods starting Sept. 19.

The annual event at Indian Creek Nature Center gives attendees the chance to sample a wide variety of local craft beer at stations alongside heavy appetizers.

Chophouse Reserve, opening in the ground level space adjacent to Chophouse Downtown, plans to open by the end of October in the corner of the Hach Building, in the 400 block of First Street SE.

The new McDonald’s south of Von Maur opened Sept. 7 in Cedar Rapids after several years of planning.

El Bajio’s second opening will offer a more bar-forward concept

The restaurant and bar, now rebranded as HP Pub & Grub, will reopen Monday, Aug. 29, 2022, at 624 Center Point Rd NE.

Specials this month include the Summertime S’mores latte and the Summertime S’mores dipped waffle cone, part of the camper’s rotating ice cream flavors. Other signatures include the Sweet Honey latte and Ice Cream latte.

The hour expansion is rare at a time when most restaurants are reducing their hours or continuing pandemic hour reductions due to ongoing labor shortages in the industry.

Everbowl, a California-based chain, will open its first location in Cedar Rapids as part of a 10-store deal in Iowa.