Cedar Rapids, IA, USA  
Digital Edition Digital Edition
Log in Log In My Account My Account
Subscribe Today
The Gazette The Gazette
The Gazette The Gazette
  • COVID-19
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Food & Drink
  • Business
Digital Edition Digital Edition
Log in Log In My Account My Account
Subscribe
CLOSE
The Gazette
Subscribe
My Account
  • News
    • All News
    • Election 2020
    • Coronavirus
    • Business News
    • Community
    • Crime and Courts
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Nation and World
    • Time Machine
    • Search Archive

    Our Journalists

    • Rod Boshart
    • Lee Hermiston
    • Erin Jordan
    • James Q. Lynch
    • Trish Mehaffey
    • Vanessa Miller
    • Kat Russell
    • Grace King
    • John Steppe
    • Gage Miskimen
    • Marissa Payne
  • Sports
    • All Sports
    • Iowa Hawkeyes
    • Hawkeye Football
    • Hawkeye Basketball
    • Prep Sports
    • Prep Volleyball
    • Prep Football
    • Prep Basketball
    • Prep Wrestling
    • Iowa State Cyclones
    • UNI Panthers
    • Small College Sports
    • Minor League Sports
    • Outdoors

    Sports Desk

    • Mike Hlas
    • Jeff Johnson
    • Jeff Linder
    • J.R. Ogden
    • K.J. Pilcher
    • Leah Vann
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Editorial Mission
    • Guest Columnists
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Political Cartoons
    • Staff Columnists
    • Staff Editorials
    • Submit a Letter or Column

    Our Columnists

    • Todd Dorman
    • Adam Sullivan
  • Food and Drink
    • All Food and Drink
    • Chew on This
    • Recipes
    • Restaurants
  • Business
    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Business Notes
    • Companies
    • Personal Finance
    • Economy
    • Employment
    • Energy
    • Manufacturing
    • Openings & Closures
    • Real Estate
    • Retail
    • Small Business
    • Transportation

    Our Journalists

    • Rod Boshart
    • Erin Jordan
    • John Steppe
  • Obituaries
    • All Obituaries
    • In Memory Of
    • Submit an Obituary
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • Daily News Podcast
    • Fact Checker
    • Hlastradamus Odds
    • Iowa Prep Sports
    • On Iowa
    • On Iowa Politics
    • On UNI
    • Pinning Combination
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Art
    • Books
    • Museums & Galleries
    • Music
    • Theater
    • Things To Do
  • Living
    • All Living
    • Health & Wellness
    • Home & Garden
    • Milestones
    • People & Places
    • Pets & Animals
    • Recreation
    • Religion & Belief
    • Travel

    Our Writers

    • Diana Nollen
  • Kids Gazette
    • See All
    • Kids Cooking Series
    • Kids Galleries
    • Printables
    • Activities
    • Articles
    • Submissions
    • Resources
  • Photos
    • All Photos and Videos
    • The Iowa Photo
    • Photo Store

    Our Photojournalists

    • Andy Abeyta
    • Liz Martin
    • Rebecca Miller
    • Jim Slosiarek
    • Gazette Visuals
  • Milestones
    • All Milestones
    • Anniversaries
    • Days To Remember
    • Engagements
    • Holidays
    • In Remembrance
    • New Arrivals
    • Thank Yous
    • Submit a Milestone
  • Data
    • Arrests
    • Building Permits
    • Interactive Maps & Charts
    • Salaries
  • Gazette Sites
    • Classifieds
    • Corridor Careers
    • Garage Sales
    • Gazette Gives Back
    • Gazette Rewards
    • Gazette Store
    • Green Gazette
    • HER
    • Iowa Wedding Experience
    • Holiday Light Finder
    • Hoopla
    • Iowa Ideas
    • Photo Store
  • Special Events
  • Special Sections
  • Other
    • About The Gazette
    • Archives
    • Article Removal
    • Business Directory
    • CR Arrest Database
    • Mobile Apps
    • Customer Care
    • Order Back Issues
    • Privacy Policies
    • Puzzle Answers
    • Sponsorship Requests
    • Submit a Letter
    • Weather
Daily News PodcastDaily News Podcast
Daily NewslettersDaily Newsletters
Log out

FOLLOW US

The Gazette
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Food and Drink
  • Business
  • Obituaries
  • Podcasts
  • Entertainment
  • Living
  • Kids Gazette
  • Photos
  • Milestones
  • Data
  • Gazette Sites
  • Special Events
  • Special Sections
  • Other
  • All News
  • Election 2020
  • Coronavirus
  • Business News
  • Community
  • Crime and Courts
  • Education
  • Government
  • Health
  • Nation and World
  • Time Machine
  • Search Archive

Our Journalists

  • Rod Boshart
  • Lee Hermiston
  • Erin Jordan
  • James Q. Lynch
  • Trish Mehaffey
  • Vanessa Miller
  • Kat Russell
  • Grace King
  • John Steppe
  • Gage Miskimen
  • Marissa Payne
  • All Sports
  • Iowa Hawkeyes
  • Hawkeye Football
  • Hawkeye Basketball
  • Prep Sports
  • Prep Volleyball
  • Prep Football
  • Prep Basketball
  • Prep Wrestling
  • Iowa State Cyclones
  • UNI Panthers
  • Small College Sports
  • Minor League Sports
  • Outdoors

Sports Desk

  • Mike Hlas
  • Jeff Johnson
  • Jeff Linder
  • J.R. Ogden
  • K.J. Pilcher
  • Leah Vann
  • All Opinion
  • Editorial Mission
  • Guest Columnists
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Political Cartoons
  • Staff Columnists
  • Staff Editorials
  • Submit a Letter or Column

Our Columnists

  • Todd Dorman
  • Adam Sullivan
  • All Food and Drink
  • Chew on This
  • Recipes
  • Restaurants
  • All Business
  • Agriculture
  • Business Notes
  • Companies
  • Personal Finance
  • Economy
  • Employment
  • Energy
  • Manufacturing
  • Openings & Closures
  • Real Estate
  • Retail
  • Small Business
  • Transportation

Our Journalists

  • Rod Boshart
  • Erin Jordan
  • John Steppe
  • All Obituaries
  • In Memory Of
  • Submit an Obituary
  • All Podcasts
  • Daily News Podcast
  • Fact Checker
  • Hlastradamus Odds
  • Iowa Prep Sports
  • On Iowa
  • On Iowa Politics
  • On UNI
  • Pinning Combination
  • All Entertainment
  • Art
  • Books
  • Museums & Galleries
  • Music
  • Theater
  • Things To Do
  • All Living
  • Health & Wellness
  • Home & Garden
  • Milestones
  • People & Places
  • Pets & Animals
  • Recreation
  • Religion & Belief
  • Travel

Our Writers

  • Diana Nollen
  • See All
  • Kids Cooking Series
  • Kids Galleries
  • Printables
  • Activities
  • Articles
  • Submissions
  • Resources
  • All Photos and Videos
  • The Iowa Photo
  • Photo Store

Our Photojournalists

  • Andy Abeyta
  • Liz Martin
  • Rebecca Miller
  • Jim Slosiarek
  • Gazette Visuals
  • All Milestones
  • Anniversaries
  • Days To Remember
  • Engagements
  • Holidays
  • In Remembrance
  • New Arrivals
  • Thank Yous
  • Submit a Milestone
  • Arrests
  • Building Permits
  • Interactive Maps & Charts
  • Salaries
  • Classifieds
  • Corridor Careers
  • Garage Sales
  • Gazette Gives Back
  • Gazette Rewards
  • Gazette Store
  • Green Gazette
  • HER
  • Iowa Wedding Experience
  • Holiday Light Finder
  • Hoopla
  • Iowa Ideas
  • Photo Store
  • About The Gazette
  • Archives
  • Article Removal
  • Business Directory
  • CR Arrest Database
  • Mobile Apps
  • Customer Care
  • Order Back Issues
  • Privacy Policies
  • Puzzle Answers
  • Sponsorship Requests
  • Submit a Letter
  • Weather
Daily News PodcastDaily News Podcast Daily NewslettersDaily Newsletters
LOG OUT

FOLLOW US

More Stories

Marion school board votes 5-2 to no longer consider ’Mavericks’

University of Iowa presidential finalist Osofsky tackles questions of free…

24-hour COVID-19 vaccine clinic to take place this weekend

'A way to start over again’: Collaboration aims to replant…

Iowa’s public works needs ignored too long, White House reports

House GOP calls for freezing funding for ‘bloated’ regents universities

More than 750,000 Iowans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19

Biden wants infrastructure deal, but GOP doubts persist

Home / Food & Drink

Vivian’s Soul Food expands with new Express Grill in Cedar Rapids

Feb. 25, 2021 6:30 am Updated: Feb. 24, 2021 6:50 pm
Vivian’s Soul Food expands with new Express Grill in Cedar RapidsVivian’s Soul Food expands with new Express Grill in Cedar RapidsVivian’s Soul Food expands with new Express Grill in Cedar RapidsVivian’s Soul Food expands with new Express Grill in Cedar RapidsVivian’s Soul Food expands with new Express Grill in Cedar RapidsVivian’s Soul Food expands with new Express Grill in Cedar RapidsVivian’s Soul Food expands with new Express Grill in Cedar RapidsVivian’s Soul Food expands with new Express Grill in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS - Jerome and Briana Smallwood had to cancel a Philly sandwich research trip to Philadelphia due to the pandemic, but that didn't stop them from going ahead with plans to open their latest venture, Vivian's Express Grill, and making Phillys front and center on the menu.

'For a good Philly, the first thing is the hoagie bread, and using real rib eye,” Jerome Smallwood said. 'We wanted to duplicate what you get in Philadelphia, but here in Iowa ... Steak, cheese, onions, bell peppers, all on one sandwich - it's a great thing.”

He went so far as to track down a Philadelphia bread supplier and getting their hoagies to make his sandwiches as authentic as possible.

The couple opened Vivian's Soul Food on Cedar Rapids southwest side in 2017. Since then, community enthusiasm for their food and business has propelled them to first move to a bigger location at 2925 Williams Parkway SW and, now, to open a spinoff restaurant, Vivian's Express Grill, in the Fountains on the northeast side of town. The new location opened in mid-February.

With a few favorite dishes from Vivian's main location and burgers, Phillys, po'boys, wraps and salads, the new concept focuses on quick service food and adding some new fare to the Vivian's repertoire.

'Soul food is heavy,” Jerome Smallwood said. 'We said, ‘Let's do something a little lighter.”

The goal is for food to be in customer's hands in 12 minutes or less, Briana Smallwood said. But they still have an emphasis on fresh and made-to-order food, she added.

Jerome Smallwood said he always wanted to open a Philly sandwich shop. He initially wanted to name it Iowa House of Phillys, aka IHOP, but Briana intervened, afraid they could get sued for using the IHOP moniker. She also thought it was important to keep the Vivian's name that Cedar Rapids diners have come to know.

'We took the heart with fork and knife logo from Vivian's and used it as the ‘X' of Express,” she said. 'It's already branded, it's already recognized.”

Jerome Smallwood said they've heard from fans who live in the northern part of town that they're glad for a chance to get Vivian's food closer to home.

That was part of the reason for choosing the Fountains, as was the continued growth of the business district.

Despite challenges of the pandemic making the business environment uncertain, they said they were sure this was the right time to branch out.

'Business has been up and down - we've had good months and bad months, but we wanted to take this opportunity,” Jerome Smallwood said. 'It's definitely a bit of a gamble that we're taking, but people didn't stop eating because of COVID.”

The restaurant has a few seats inside, with every other table marked off for social distancing. They weren't partnering with any delivery services when they opened but were considering adding GrubHub.

A carryout-focused, quick service restaurant was the perfect fit for the moment, he said, and he anticipates the model will remain popular.

'I see the industry going that way,” he said. 'Even with the vaccine, a lot of people still aren't going to be comfortable coming to sit inside a restaurant.”

The Smallwoods hope this isn't their last expansion, and they hope to open a third location by the end of 2021.

Eventually they'd like to franchise, and Vivian's Express Grill offers an ideal format for that idea, they said.

The last few years since first opening Vivian's Soul Food and watching it's popularity rise have been somewhat of an emotional roller coaster, Jerome Smallwood said.

Community support, especially during the pandemic, has sustained them and made the long days and hard work feel worth it.

'It's been a journey, lots of ups and downs,” he said. 'You have your days of, ‘Ooh, I'm going to take over the world,' and days when you say, ‘What have I gotten myself into.' ... I didn't go into this thinking we'd get the type of response we did, but Cedar Rapids really stood behind us.”

Briana Smallwood said when they started the restaurant, they had a mission statement: to bring all types of people together over soul food.

'To be able to create that and see it come to fruition has been very impactful,” she said.

Ultimately, they're doing this for their children and for the community around them, she said. They want to inspire young people, especially young people of color, to pursue their dreams.

'We want to create something big and lead by example,” she said. 'If you want to build something, you can make it happen.”

If you go

' What:

Vivian's Express Grill

' Where:

5300 Fountains Dr. NE #104, Cedar Rapids

' Hours:

11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday

' Details: (319) 249-1752, vivianssoulfoodcr.com

Jerk shrimp salad is among the healthier offerings on the menu at Vivian's Express Grill, which recently opened in The Fountains in northeast Cedar Rapids. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)
Vivian's Express Grill recently opened in The Fountains in northeast Cedar Rapids. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)
A Philly cheesesteak sandwich features buns sourced from Philadelphia and rib-eye steak at Vivian's Express Grill.
Brianna and Jerome Smallwood recently opened Vivian's Express Grill, an offshoot of their restaurant Vivians Soul Food. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)
Vivian's Express Grill focuses on quick service favorites off the menu of Vivian's Soul Food. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)
Jerk shrimp salad is among the healthier offerings on the menu at Vivian's Express Grill, which recently opened in The Fountains located at Edgewood Avenue NE and Blairs Ferry Road NE in Cedar Rapids. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)
A Philly cheesesteak sandwich features buns sourced from Philadelphia and ribeye steak at Vivian's Express Grill, which recently opened in The Fountains in northeast Cedar Rapids. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)
Brianna and Jerome Smallwood recently opened Vivian's Express Grill, an offshoot of their restaurant Vivians Soul Food. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)
Restaurants

Trending

  • If I have allergies, should I be worried about the…

    Michaela Ramm

  • Riots are the voice of the unheard

    Jeremiah Zhorne

  • Jury convicts Dubuque man who distributed fatal dose of heroin

    Trish Mehaffey

  • Magnet for danger, Cedar Rapids house alarms neighbors

    Trish Mehaffey

  • Ramadan starts tonight. An eighth-grader explains what it’s like to…

    Grace King

Give us feedback

We work hard to provide fair, accurate coverage because we value your trust. If you find an error or omission in our reporting, please tell us here.

Submit a story idea

Do you have a story idea that we should look into? Please tell us here.

Related Stories

The Keto Kitchen brings ketogenic dining option to Iowa City

The Keto Kitchen brings ketogenic dining option to Iowa City

Elijah Decious Restaurants Apr. 8, 2021 3:46 pm

It’s time to return to the Tic Toc, Cedar Rapids…

It’s time to return to the Tic Toc, Cedar Rapids…

Katie Mills Giorgio Food & Drink Apr. 1, 2021 12:26 pm

The Bohemian in NewBo opens to celebrate music, food and…

The Bohemian in NewBo opens to celebrate music, food and…

By Dorothy de Souza Guedes, correspondent Food & Drink Mar. 24, 2021 6:59 pm

Food & Drink

Try your hand at Russian hand pies

Try your hand at Russian hand pies

Joshua Tibbetts

Food & Drink Apr. 11, 2021 12:17 pm

Chew on This: Barrel House restaurant coming to Marion

Chew on This: Barrel House restaurant coming to Marion

Elijah Decious

Restaurants Apr. 7, 2021 2:32 pm

Marion couple encourages others to get the most out of…

Marion couple encourages others to get the most out of…

By Molly Rossiter, for The Gazette

Food & Drink Mar. 29, 2021 5:15 pm

Try this strawberry jam cake with sour cream custard

Try this strawberry jam cake with sour cream custard

By Lisa Williams, Sweet & Spicy

Food & Drink Mar. 26, 2021 9:47 am

Business

Court replaces two judges on business court

Court replaces two judges on business court

Trish Mehaffey

Crime and Courts Apr. 12, 2021 3:18 pm

Business Notes: April 11, 2021

Business Notes: April 11, 2021

Business News Apr. 8, 2021 2:53 pm

Industry foe charged under Iowa's new food trespassing law

Industry foe charged under Iowa's new food trespassing law

, Ryan Foley

Agriculture News Apr. 9, 2021 6:52 pm

Cedar Rapids, Iowa City businesses hiring for second summer of…

Cedar Rapids, Iowa City businesses hiring for second summer of…

Brooklyn Draisey

Employment Apr. 9, 2021 6:42 pm

Restaurants

SoulGood Southern Diner in Cedar Rapids features family’s favorite dishes

SoulGood Southern Diner in Cedar Rapids features family’s favorite dishes

Katie Mills Giorgio

Food & Drink Mar. 17, 2021 7:14 pm

Chew on This: Jersey Mike’s Subs opens 2nd location in…

Chew on This: Jersey Mike’s Subs opens 2nd location in…

The Gazette

Food & Drink Mar. 17, 2021 7:14 pm

Iowa gives more than $4 million in relief to restaurants,…

Iowa gives more than $4 million in relief to restaurants,…

John Steppe

Business News Mar. 12, 2021 12:05 pm

Satisfy your corned beef craving at Coralville’s Pat & Fran’s…

Satisfy your corned beef craving at Coralville’s Pat & Fran’s…

By Dorothy de Souza Guedes, correspondent

Food & Drink Mar. 11, 2021 9:04 am

News

More than 750,000 Iowans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19

More than 750,000 Iowans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19

Kat Russell

Health Care and Medicine Apr. 12, 2021 7:16 pm

Biden wants infrastructure deal, but GOP doubts persist

Biden wants infrastructure deal, but GOP doubts persist

AP

News Apr. 12, 2021 6:54 pm

Tennessee school shooting kills 1, wounds police officer

Tennessee school shooting kills 1, wounds police officer

AP

News Apr. 12, 2021 6:53 pm

Police: Minnesota officer meant to draw Taser, not handgun

Police: Minnesota officer meant to draw Taser, not handgun

AP

News Apr. 12, 2021 6:51 pm

FOLLOW US

The Gazette is Iowa’s independent, employee-owned source for local, state, and national news coverage.

© 2021 The Gazette

All Rights Reserved.

  • Advertise with us
  • Privacy
  • Web Accessibility

Contact Us

  • 116 3rd St SE
    Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
  • customercare@thegazette.com
  • (319) 398-8333
  • Live Chat

Links

  • Puzzle Answers
  • CR Arrest Database
  • Article Removal Request
  • Archives
  • Green Gazette
  • Corridor Careers Jobs
  • Work at The Gazette
  • Customer Care

© 2021 The Gazette

All Rights Reserved.

  • Advertise with us
  • Privacy
  • Web Accessibility
Folience A Folience Company