116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Pizza World blends old restaurant, new Voodoo Brewing franchise at new Cedar Rapids location
New location brings Voodoo Brewing Company to Iowa
Apr. 15, 2025 1:00 pm, Updated: Apr. 16, 2025 12:03 pm
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
CEDAR RAPIDS — Iowa’s only Pizza World franchise is bringing another first to the state: Voodoo Brewing Company.
The popular, locally owned restaurant’s new location blends two in one with its new move to The Fountains development in northeast Cedar Rapids, opened April 12.
The testing grounds for a new concept could become a model for both companies as they grow their Midwest presence.
See inside the new world opened for your taste buds with a match made in heaven.
If you go:
Address: 5100 Fountains Dr. NE, Unit 100, Cedar Rapids
Phone: (319) 393-2000
Website: pizzaworldiowa.com and voodoobrewery.com
Details: Enjoy a wide range of gourmet and traditional pizza options, wings, subs and more alongside a range of beers new to Iowa. For dine-in, carryout and delivery.
How it happened
Since 2019, owner Tammy Jordan and her family have been running Pizza World’s only Iowa franchise in the Missouri-based restaurant chain.
Tammy’s husband, Bob Jordan, was a retired police office whose family used to own a pizza and sub restaurant along Route 66 in Fontana, California. As his children graduated from college, they wanted to recreate the family-friendly environment he had fond memories of.
That venture lived at 42nd St. NE until earlier this year.
But one of their employees had an idea for something more. Bob’s son and general manager, Kyle Jordan, put a bug in his ear to take the restaurant to the next level by bringing craft beer into the restaurant.
They started with other local breweries, selling beers from places like Lion Bridge Brewing. Now, with Iowa’s first franchise of the Pittsburgh-based Voodoo Brewing, the brewing is moving in-house.
The new location
Pizza and craft beer are a good marriage.
“Gourmet pizza needs good craft beer,” Bob said. “It’s like tacos and margaritas. Pizza and beer are just meant to be.”
But one thing threatened to separate them: Cedar Rapids’ city construction.
The street project at their 42nd St. NE location, evolving over time to be more restrictive of their traffic, eventually became non-viable for a business of their size.
Their new space, in the former Saucy Focaccia location near Hy-Vee, offers a much larger space than their previous 40-seat eatery.
Here, a small wall will separate the Pizza World side from the Voodoo Brewing Company side, which will share a counter for ordering in the European beer hall style restaurant.
“Initially, they were both very afraid that this would look like a Kentucky Fried Chicken and Burger King in a gas station. They didn’t want their identities to be like that,” Bob said. “There’s a lot of eyes on this project.”
Their Pizza World, which was the first franchise to ever sell alcohol, will be the testing grounds for the concept combining Voodoo and Pizza World. With success, the model will be opened up to other Pizza World franchises for replication.
“We’re trying to massage two completely different companies,” Bob said.
The beer
With a rotating selection on 12 taps, Voodoo will offer a variety of selections from its flagship pilsner and lagers to a West Coast IPA and fruited Belgian made with a proprietary yeast strain. Other specialties will include a milk nitro stout and exclusive barrel-aged stout.
The brand, new to Iowa, has a penchant for cartoonish can designs with psychedelic color palettes spelling out beer varieties named “Empty Calories” and “Where Our Secrets Go.”
For now, the brand is brewed at its headquarters in Pennsylvania. But this location is in talks with the brand to build a second brewery in the Corridor to better serve a sprawling presence in the Midwest and Rocky Mountain states.
Voodoo Franchise Group’s new COO, Erik Ivey, also recently moved to Solon.
The Jordan family also has been contracted to serve pizza and beer at Rival Warz Arena’s new 45,000 square-foot Coralville e-sports gaming center, slated to open in 2026.
The food
About 100 pounds of fresh dough is tossed each day to serve dozens of options across Pizza World’s gourmet and traditional menu.
“I don't think you’ll find a (pizza) menu with more options than ours,” Kyle said.
Favorites include the Baja Taco, Spicy Thai with a sweet barbecue sauce and the Big Dill with ranch dressing.
The standard tomato sauce runs on the savory side, with a touch of sweet and spice. The cheese blend offers a mix of full-fat, skim and buffalo mozzarella that gives each slice an impressive stretch.
Diners reheating their leftovers also will notice that the soft and chewy crust comes back to life in the microwave, unlike most pizzas.
The menu also includes a robust selection of quality wings, calzones, subs, salads and pasta.
As Voodoo Brewing comes online May 9, the restaurant will offer an extra side of appetizers from the brand, including pretzels, tator tots and “local flares,” based on region.
But it’s not just the food that brings them back — it’s the personal touch. Even on their first day, customers were flooding the new space.
Kyle calls that a mix of “cult following and loyalty,” built carefully by the family, who works there every day.
“There’s always a family member here. We’re always getting to know our customers on a deeper level,” said Jenna Jordan, their social media manager. “It even shocks me to see how big our following is.”
Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.
Get the latest restaurant news, food reviews and insider tips from the Chew on This newsletter.
Daily Newsletters