Chrome Horse reopening in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Chrome Horse Slophouse and Saloon is set to reopen this fall at a new location on Blairs Ferry Road NE, more than one year after closing the old NewBo District location.

Chrome Horse will move into the site, at 1140 Blairs Ferry Road NE, that formerly housed the Fieldhouse, which moved to a smaller location in July.

'A new start in a new area,' said Derek Collins, co-owner and manager at Chrome Horse. He said the new location will continue with its biker bar theme, and feature live music on Friday and Saturday nights.

The new location will increase the business's space from approximately 6,000 square feet to 8,000 square feet, Collins said.

'This was just a perfect fit, having this much space,' Collins said, adding the large parking lot will allow the business to accommodate big numbers on weekend nights.

The business will feature the same menu and offer Sunday brunch to customers, Collins said.

Collins said they made a number of changes to the interior of the building, including adding a stage and a secondary bar area. He said every seat in the house will be able to see the stage and they are planning an outdoor concert series for next summer.

Chrome Horse co-owner Mark Pendergast said they picked the location due to its proximity to Rockwell Collins and because it's a high-traffic area.

'The opportunity just presented itself,' Pendergast said of the new location. 'I know there were several other locations we looked at.'

Chrome Horse closed its NewBo District location in 2014 after a fire caused significant smoke, heat and fire damage to the first and second floors of the building.