A new country bar moves in, Fieldhouse finds a new home in downtown Iowa City shakeup
Hazzards, an 'American Saloon' country-themed bar in downtown Cedar Rapids, is opening a second location in the Ped Mall at 118 S. Dubuque St, on Friday, Aug. 1, where Fieldhouse currently sits.
Fieldhouse, while temporarily closed, is simply relocating. The 50-year-old legacy business will move to a larger space at 138 S. Clinton St., next to YoTopia and across from the Old Capitol Mall.
Tracy Barkalow owns both the current and future Fieldhouse properties.
Barkalow recently acquired the 118 S. Dubuque St. commercial space and purchased the 138 S. Clinton St. property a few years ago, previously home to Active Endeavors, which has been vacant since 2021.
More: NutriSport & Smoothie brings wellness-focused food and smoothies to downtown Iowa City
Barkalow owns the name and rights to Fieldhouse, a bar that 'holds a special place' in his heart as a lifelong Iowa City resident. He took over ownership following the death of the original owner, Mark Eggleston, in 2024.
'It's an awesome opportunity to keep something that's been going for 50 years, and all the memories, not just for myself, but all the college students, alumni, and the people that grew up in Iowa City,' Barkalow said. "I want Fieldhouse to stay open for the next generations and another 50 years."
This isn't Fieldhouse's first move, according to the Daily Iowan. The bar initially opened at 111 E. College St. in the southwest end of the Ped Mall in 1975 before making the short jaunt to its current location on the east side of the Ped Mall.
The new Fieldhouse will double in size and be comparable to the original location where ReUnion Brewery is located, returning to the 'original feel."
The bar aims to open in tandem with the Hawkeye Football season, anticipating opening by the end of August or early September.
Hazzard's owner, Brian Hughes, also owns Wrigleyville Sports Pub in Marion, and has wanted to expand to Iowa City for years.
'There's plenty of business to be had in Iowa City," Hughes said. "It's a great market."
Hazzards opened in the heart of downtown Cedar Rapids in 2012 at 329 Second Ave. SE then relocated a few doors in 2018 a t402 Second Ave. SE.
Hazzards' Iowa City location will open on Friday, Aug. 1. The bar will maintain its charm alongside a revamped "country vibe." The primary difference between the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids locations is size, with the Iowa City location being slightly smaller.
'Hazzards is a cross between a sports bar and a country nightclub,' Hughes said. 'We're looking to fill that niche of where you go to watch a game…we're going to have giant TVs everywhere, so I don't know of another place that has (that blend).'
More: Fireworks in Iowa City? New law loosens restrictions around Fourth of July, New Year's Eve
Hazzards will join other 'country-themed bars' in downtown Iowa City, including Tequila Cowgirl and Giddy Up, both of which opened in 2024.
Barklow also owns the Giddy Up property.
'If I thought that anything was going to be threatening to their business (Giddy Up, Hazzards, and El Rays Live and Dive), I wouldn't allow it,' Barkalow said. '(Hughes), the owners of Giddy Up, the owners of El Rays, are exceptional operators. They are going to run good businesses that will compete with each other but also complement each other.'
Barkalow says the downtown restructuring is part of Iowa City's 'supply and demand." He believes nightlife thrives while retail does not.
'The reality is that downtown Iowa City should have nightlife. It should be bars, restaurants, and entertainment for college students and the general public,' Barkalow said. 'Downtown (Iowa City) draws people in for nightlife and entertainment, and the best use (of a vacant storefront) is a restaurant or bar, not retail, unfortunately.'
More: Johnson County residents unite to combat rent hikes, issues at local mobile home parks
Barkalow told the Press-Citizen that he tried to fill the former Active Endeavors with a retail storefront, but 'no one wants it.'
'The customer base in downtown Iowa City is not a retail customer,' Barklow said. "It's University of Iowa students, staff, and local people that go down for a night of entertainment. Entertainment should be in the downtown (corridor).'
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Fieldhouse's move and a new country bar in Iowa City. What to know
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Sioux City Warming Shelter purchases piece of land
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — The Sioux City Warming Shelter is expanding its footprint by purchasing an undeveloped piece of land next to its current home on Nebraska Street. Woodbury County Supervisors approved the sale for just more than $1,000 during Tuesday night's meeting. Story continues below Top Story: Siouxland doctors tackle rural OB-GYN care shortage Lights & Sirens: 1 arrested after allegedly making threats to kill in Storm Lake Sports: Two-A-Days: Bishop Heelan Crusaders Weather: Get the latest weather forecast here At the meeting, Joe Twidwell, one of the shelter's directors, told supervisors the shelter hopes to clean up the land, along with improving a retaining wall. The warming shelter opened in 2013. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jasper County purchases hardware to print absentee ballots in-house
Aug. 19—The Jasper County Auditor's Office will be obtaining new hardware to print off absentee ballots in-house during elections rather than ordering them out of state. Supervisors approved the new piece of hardware called "Ballot on Demand" for a total of $8,825, which includes a warranty license, maintenance and support fees. Jasper County Auditor Jenna Jennings said the hardware would only print absentee ballots, which is what many other offices do around the state. Typically, the County Auditor's Office has ballots printed and shipped directly from Omaha. Election Day ballots will still be printed and shipped this way. At the last general election, Jennings said about 27,500 ballots were ordered at a cost of 27 cents each. Coupled with other fees, that totals to about $9,400. "We think we can cut the costs in about half with every election that we are printing our own," Jennings said. "We think it also would be nice to have that as a safeguard if we get low on our stock. And we're always trying to hit that fine line of getting as close to zero left in the office at the end of the day." But the Jasper County Auditor's Office also wants to make sure it has enough in case more citizens show up to vote. Jennings argued the more than $8,000 price tag of the hardware will pay for itself over time. She said the auditor's office went through 8,237 absentee ballots during the 2024 election. "We're seeing an uptick in absentee voters as we continue to go through the years," Jennings said. Election Systems & Software's Ballot on Demand system includes a printer, laptop and BOD software. According to the company's website, the system automates and streamlines ballot production and distribution, offering flexible options for on-demand ballot printing needs. Security features include a physical and system access controls, audit logs, encryption, validation and digital signature and system application controls. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Iowa women's basketball give fans closer look at 5-star freshman guard Addie Deal
The Iowa women's basketball program has launched itself into the elite women's college basketball programs over the past years. Beginning with getting Caitlin Clark to commit, the Hawkeyes have had a lot of success on the recruiting trail and have seen that success lead to wins on the court. And because they've won so much, they've been able to continue bringing in big-name recruits. That's remained true with their 2025 signing class. Addie Deal was a big recruiting victory for the Hawkeyes' 2025 class. A 6-foot combo guard out of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif., Deal was one of the most highly sought-after prospects in the entire country. Deal is the ninth-best prospect in the 2025 class, according to 247Sports, and had offers from Iowa, Baylor, LSU, and Tennessee, among other schools. The Cali product announced her commitment to Iowa back in March of 2024, which was a big win for the program. Deal has been on campus for the past few months for team workouts and practices, and has reportedly been very impressive. Deal is expected to play big minutes for Iowa in the 2025-26 season, which will help elevate the team's floor and ceiling this season. And with freshman move-in for the entire college happening this week, Iowa women's basketball released a video on X that allowed fans to get to know Deal a little better before the season tips off. It's always great to get the know the players and their stories before they take the court. It's very clear that Deal is not only an extremely talented basketball player, but a great culture fit for this Hawkeye program under second-year head coach Jan Jensen. That Iowa culture blossomed under Lisa Bluder and has continued to flourish under Jensen, which is why Deal's fit both on the court and off it is perfect. Iowa fans can't wait to see her and the rest of the team take the court in just a few months to kick off another exciting season of hoops inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Zach on X: @zach_hiney This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa women's basketball give fans closer look at star freshman guard
