Once Be Loved Iowa Pizza & Taproom Is Now Officially Closed

There have been a lot of restaurants closing in Iowa and Illinois lately.  Some of them have been newer places that just couldn't make it.  Others have been around the Quad Cities for quite some time but as the economy changes businesses just can't make it anymore.

The latest in the line of doors closing has been in town for over 20 years.

People Started Asking Questions Last Year

People have been speculating that the location was closing after months of rumors. Note to other restaurants out there, if you don't want to start rumors of you closing then don't be cryptic on your sign saying goodbye.

But, the restaurant played it off saying that they weren't saying goodbye, they were just saying goodbye to an employee who had worked for them for a long time.

Busy But Odd Location?

You can see the Old Chicago sign from the very busy intersection of Spruce Hills and Utica Ridge Rd.  I've spent many minutes sitting and waiting for the light at that intersection.  And the sign for Old Chicago is tall and always there.  You can even see the sign from I-74!

But even though it was in a busy area and you could always see the sign, you couldn't actually see the building from the road.  Old Chicago was tucked down the hill at the end of the busy part of Utica Ridge.  And then to get into the parking lot, it was down another hill.

Might not sound like much, but just a sign vs. the actual building can have an effect now that there are so many choices to eat in the area.

Old Chicago Had Been Around For Over 20 Years

The difference between Old Chicago and some of the other closures is that they have been around for a long time.  Over two decades of serving the deep dish pizza and all those beers.

Unlike the other recent closures, Old Chicago did not say farewell on Facebook.  The last post is from February 1.  A fella playing bagpipes.  However, the Facebook page says that the location is "Permanently Closed".

Looking at the Old Chicago corporate website there are still ways for you to enjoy the deep dish pizza.  With one location in Illinois (Rockford) and three locations in Iowa (Ames, Dubuque, Sioux City) you'll still be able to take the world beer tour.  You just have to drive farther than down the hill to get it.