Chew on This: Jimmy Jack’s closes in North Liberty, new vendors open in NewBo

Jimmy Jack’s Rib Shack closed its location in North Liberty in early June, according to a June 2 social media post. It first opened in 2017.

“This past year has been tough on restaurants and Jimmy Jack’s is no exception,” the restaurant posted. “In order to take care of our staff, restaurant and all of our amazing guests, we have made the difficult decision to close our North Liberty Jimmy Jack’s.”

The barbecue restaurant’s Iowa City location will remain open at 1940 Lower Muscatine Rd.

“My business partner and I make many of our business choices based on our quality of life and that of our staff,” Jack Piper, who co-owns the restaurant with James “Jimmy” Adrian, told The Gazette. “We really look at our team as our family and want them to have everything they need to be happy.”

New options open in NewBo

NewBo City Market in Cedar Rapids has welcomed five more food vendors into its business incubator program, the Hatchery, over the past month, bringing the total number of new businesses in 2021 to nine.

• Torch Kitchen, opened May 29, offers “a unique and inclusive menu of bite-sized crave cuisine including sliders, fried dumplings, fries and dipping sauces.”

• The Hangry Lady, opened June 3, offers “flavorful food with a healthy twist,” including charcuterie, meal prep and private catering services.

• Luna Gelato and Ice Cream, opened June 3, offers Italian ice, nine flavors of gelato and sorbetto and eight flavors of ice cream.

• Grandma’s Root Cellar, opened June 3, showcases jams and fermented foods like cucumber pickles, hot sauce, kombucha and kimchi.

• Prairie Soup Company, opened mid-June, brings new made-from-scratch options with six soups served daily at Prairie Soup Company’s second location.

Scooter’s opens first Iowa City location

Scooter’s Coffee opened its first Iowa City location June 25.

The shop at 1335 Highway 1 is the second new Corridor location to open in the last month.

It joins seven other locations in Cedar Rapids, the newest of which opened in June at 3212 Mount Vernon Rd. SE.

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