Hamburg Inn set to reopen Iowa City restaurant this week

IOWA CITY — After some ups and downs, Hamburg Inn No. 2 will reopen this week under new ownership.

The iconic diner at 214 N. Linn St., rescued by Gold Cap Hospitality in August after turmoil that started in December, will open at 7 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 5. The public is invited to get reacquainted with the Hamburg Inn’s timeless classics like Pieshakes, fried chicken and bottomless coffee as the new owner ushers in a new chapter in the diner’s nearly 90-year history.

Guests at the greasy spoon, which became a catchall for political candidates visiting Eastern Iowa over the years, also will be encouraged to make their voice heard in a new type of straw poll — The Hamburg Inn Coffee Bean Caucus — by voting for their favorite menu items, rather than political candidates.

Remodeling over the past several weeks has focused on bringing the diner’s vibrant past to its forefront, honoring the essence of what brought the restaurant success for so many years before challenges toward the end of former owner Michael Lee’s tenure.

“It’s (a place to) come as you are. When you walk through those doors, there’s so much nostalgia,” said Nate Kaeding, founding partner and lead strategist at Gold Cap Hospitality. “It’s exposing those things that would’ve been there if you walked in there in the ’60s or ’80s, bringing those back to the forefront — a no-nonsense place.”

With a focus on artifacts, newspaper clippings, and the history of presidents and high-level politicians who made the space a hot spot, diners can expect a fresh look with paint, wainscoting, wallpaper and signage in the same vintage aesthetic of the diner’s heyday.

With a refreshed menu of classics, Kaeding said diners also can expect elevated attention to detail in their food. The vast majority of the new menu will be items diners have seen, in some iteration, on past Hamburg menus.

“Businesses change and the pace of consumers change over time. Our job is to create a business model and offerings that will set The Hamburg up for success in the future,” Kaeding said. “When you think about what makes The Hamburg, The Hamburg, it’s that what you see is what you get.”

Gold Cap Hospitality, which owns and operates Pullman Bar & Diner and St. Burch Tavern, is led by local partners John Maske, Stephanie Breitbach, Nate Kaeding and Cory Kent, as well as Big Grove Brewery’s executive officer Matt Swift, managing partner Doug Goettsch and executive chef Ben Smart.

The Hamburg Inn will be open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

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