Nicholas Allbright
Hamburg Inn No. 2, the historic Iowa City diner recognized for its “Coffee Bean Caucus” and visits from politicians and presidents, may well close, at minimum temporarily, right after serving buyers in Iowa Metropolis for many years, a longtime worker reported.
Hamburg Inn’s manager, Robert “Ajax” Ehl confirmed the restaurant’s closure to the Press-Citizen on Friday. Jan. 8, 2023, will be its previous day serving clients, he stated. Ehl said the enterprise is not making sufficient money to go over its expenses.
Ehl said it is “up to the proprietor” no matter if the closure is lasting or temporary. Michael Lee owns each the creating at 214 N Linn Road and the business enterprise itself right after he procured it from the Panther family in 2016.
“The base line is I cannot remain open up if I can’t pay out my workforce and I am not likely to request them to function for totally free,” explained Ehl, who began as a dishwasher 18 many years ago and turned manager 9 months back.
But Saturday morning, KCRG television documented that an attorney representing the Hamburg Inn stated the restaurant would continue being open up, albeit with confined hours and expert services.
“The Hamburg Inn has been functioning at decreased several hours the final few weeks and will continue on to do so for the future number of months to make updates,” Kim Baer instructed the station. “There are no ideas to close the restaurant.”
The possible closure comes 8 months after the Hamburg Inn No. 2 was cited by Johnson County Public Wellness for a dozen wellness code violations, which includes not confirming staff members had been washing their arms, missing correct certifications, meals particles currently being still left on machinery and other violations.
A sign in the window of the organization on Friday stated that the restaurant’s bogs have been not available for use by consumers.
With its closure, Iowa political culture would drop an legendary piece of caucus history in the identical year that the Democratic National Committee selected to strip the Iowa of its initially-in-the-country presidential collection status. The Republican National Committee strategies to continue to keep the Iowa caucuses initially on its presidential nominating calendar.
In advance of any election, politicians from both equally functions consistently visited the diner which includes Hillary Clinton, Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama.
Recognized for Pie Shakes, convenience food stuff and classic diner fare, the walls of the Hamburg Inn No. 2 are adorned with newspaper clippings and shots of elected officers who produced visits.
Starting off in 2003, the cafe showcased mason jars labeled with the names of national and state workplace candidates in future elections on it front counter. Clients have allowed to forged 1 vote, or fall a single bean, into the jar for the applicant of their choice.
By 2005, the Iowa City cafe, or a soundstage model of it, was showcased in the “The West Wing” episode “King Corn.”
Far more:How Hamburg Inn No. 2’s Espresso Bean Caucus assisted make the Iowa Metropolis diner a star
Ehl stated he experienced no concept what the affect the decline of the historic cafe would be to Iowa City or on politics.
Ehl explained staffing has been tricky and of COVID-19 introduced on “a hard pair of years” for the Hamburg Inn No. 2.
He claimed through the pandemic the company shut down for a couple months and started again up with about a half a dozen staff members and slowly and gradually designed back again up to a comprehensive crew of about 22 and regular company hrs.
When Lee, a indigenous of China who had frequented the cafe as a university scholar, acquired the restaurant in 2016 he explained to the Push-Citizen that at just one stage he stopped in for lunch and expressed the want to then-operator Dave Panther to get a site open in China. He was later on made available the option to acquire the cafe.
“I would like to see almost certainly 12 to 15 places to eat in the state of Iowa,” Lee reported. “I hope that we can do that within just our 1st year.”
In 2017, Lee instructed the Push-Citizen “his plan is to open up nearly 30 Hamburg Inn destinations across the point out in the near upcoming — as properly as a lot of other spots through the country.”
In August 2017, the restaurant did open up a new site on Iowa City’s Eastside. That spot shut a lot less than a few yrs following opening at 2221 Rochester Ave in 2020.
In 2019, then-Normal Supervisor Seth Dudley reported programs to open an additional Hamburg Inn No. 2 on Coral Ridge Ave. in spring 2020 and get started a foodstuff truck.
George Shillcock is the Press-Citizen’s local federal government and improvement reporter covering Iowa City and Johnson County. He can be achieved at (319) 214-5039, [email protected] and on Twitter @ShillcockGeorge
