Ian’s Pizza pioneers franchise model at Cedar Rapids opening in Lion Bridge Brewing Co.

CEDAR RAPIDS — Ian’s Pizza is cutting a slice out of a new market with its latest opening in Iowa.

As Lion Bridge Brewing Co. looks to focus more on its signature beers, the Wisconsin brand is trading Badgers for Hawkeyes as it offers its first taste in the state.

With six locations in Madison and Milwaukee, Ian’s is bringing its creative pies to a new market with a slightly different model. And in its newly renovated kitchen, Lion Bridge Brewing is trading its old macaroni and cheese for Ian’s Mac and Cheese pizza.

“Over the past decade, Lion Bridge has been proud of the menu it developed, but it became clear that a long-term evolution was needed — both to support sustainable growth and to create space for new opportunities,” said Quinton McClain, owner and head brewer of Lion Bridge Brewing. “Partnering with Ian’s Pizza was a natural next step. The creativity behind craft beer pairs perfectly with the creativity of pizza, and together they form an iconic and beloved combination.”

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The pizza

With a menu that closely resembles its Madison location, the Cedar Rapids location will offer pizza with four sauce types, breadsticks and salads. Exclusive to this location will be a selection of pierogies and bar snacks like Bavarian pretzels that will deliver what you might expect to eat at a brewery.

The menu has grown slowly over the brand’s 24 years. It wasn’t until 2012 that it offered bread sticks.

“When we started (over) 20 years ago, we stopped at pizza,” said Lexy Frautschy, franchise owner and executive chairperson of Ian’s Pizza United. “We didn’t want to be that old school pizza mindset with wings and all these things.”

While crust is an afterthought for some pizzerias, it’s more than a vehicle for cheese and toppings at Ian’s. Baked in stone ovens, their hand tossed dough has a crisp edge and a chewy center.

Wisconsin and Iowa are a long ways from the Empire State, but the foldable nature and size of Ian’s slices could be considered New York style.

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“I think the number one thing over the years that stands out for people is our crust,” Frautschy said. “The crust itself, the flavor is great.”

But with plenty of topping combinations, they don’t rest on their laurels.

Popular creatives like the Mac and Cheese and the Smokey the Bandit (barbecue chicken, bacon, ranch and cheddar cheese on barbecue sauce) will migrate to Iowa.

White sauce options like the Baked Penne offer a creamier base with juicy cacciatore tomatoes. Or opt for a pesto sauce with options like the Spinach Feta.

Red sauce classics like pepperoni, sausage and veggie make an appearance alongside more novel options like the Drunken Ravioli, which is made with vodka sauce, cheese ravioli, butter and Asiago.

Other Cedar Rapids exclusives with develop over time, in sync with complementary beer flavors on tap at the brewery. Already, Frautschy has the Walking Taco — a unique piece of Iowa’s food culture — queued up as one idea.

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“What we’re doing is not something I’ve seen, at least in the Cedar Rapids area,” Frautschy said.

Large slices of pizza — the lion’s share of Ian’s business in Wisconsin — start at $4.50.

At Ian’s other locations, centered in busy areas with high traffic volumes, fast service is a priority. But at the brewery, where lingering to enjoy a beer is encouraged, it remains to be seen whether pizza by the slice will be as popular as the default for most pizzerias here.

“It feels like our motto is being redefined,” Frautschy said.

The franchise owner anticipates expanding hours in August, and adding delivery later this year.

“Pizza and beer are a great, approachable pairing for everyone,” McClain said. “People will love the creativity both our brands bring to the table.”

A new model for new territory

The Cedar Rapids location is the first for Ian’s Pizza since it last expanded to Colorado. Their location in downtown Denver was open from 2013 to 2023.

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A franchise model in partnership with pre-established locations, such as breweries, has been considered by Ian’s for years as a pivot from dense downtown markets like Madison and Milwaukee to smaller markets like Cedar Rapids. Lion Bridge Brewing was the first one to open.

Costs for Ian’s have escalated since it first opened, and the new model sharing an existing location puts it on better footing. In the early 2000s, for example, their pizza oven cost around $2,500; today, it runs about $10,000.

Frautschy, who had been working remotely in a corporate role for Ian’s Pizza since 2015, moved his family to North Liberty in 2020 before settling in Marion. He met McClain through a dance class both of their daughters attended.

Before long, they realized pairing with Lion Bridge was a good fit, both culinarily and culturally. Elevated flavors and a creative mindset are elements both brands embrace.

“Their beer and flavors always stood out,” Frautschy said. “There’s a lot of microbreweries, but it felt like they had an edge.”

He said the brewery’s integration into the community is another important fit — a connection Ian’s had difficulty establishing in Denver.

If the new model proves successful, Frautschy envisions more growth in other smaller markets between Iowa and Wisconsin, such as Dubuque.

“I love the versatility of the type of experience you can now have at Lion Bridge,” McClain said. “You can stay for hours being with friends and family over great drink and food, or you can grab a quick slice and a beverage over lunch or before a show at a local venue.”

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Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.

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