Hospoda closes Czech Village pizzeria

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Czech Village pizzeria that married craft beer from the Old World with wood-fired personal pizzas closed with little notice over the weekend.

Hospoda, 62 16th Ave. SW, gave a two-day notice on a social media post of plans to permanently shutter on Sunday, Oct. 22.

“It's been a pleasure and honor to be a part of this community and the Czech Village neighborhood,” co-owners Eric Lennie and Manny Maldonado said on Oct. 20. “We've made lifelong memories and lifelong friends in our time here and couldn't be more grateful for your support over the last couple of years.”

Hospoda, named after the Czech word for “pub,” opened in November 2021. It served 20 mostly local craft brews with one unique novelty — a side-pour tap dedicated to the imported Pilsner Urquell, the world’s first pale lager brewed in the Czech Republic since 1839.

Pizzas were baked in a wood-fired brick oven that was imported from France and installed with great effort in the renovated space.

The restaurant’s space was previously home to Aces and Eights Saloon.

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