Salsa Guy Cafe is Closing Its Original Cedar Rapids Location

The first Salsa Guy Cafe to open in Cedar Rapids is going to be shutting its doors for good this month. Lucky for us, the restaurant's newest location isn't going anywhere!

The Original Salsa Guy Cafe

Back in the summer of 2024, it was revealed the owner behind the popular Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmers Market vendor The Salsa Guy would be opening his very first restaurant within the city. Tim Palmer, better known as the "Salsa Guy," began welcoming customers to his new cafe at 2874 Mount Vernon Rd SE just a few months later, and since then, the business has continued to grow and evolve. It's even been a finalist for Iowa's Best Burger competition two years in a row!

Salsa Guy Cafe, Facebook

The Second Salsa Guy Cafe

Just about a year after the first Salsa Guy Cafe opened, a second one popped up in the former Wendy's building at 3925 Blairs Ferry Road NE in Cedar Rapids. The new space features an expanded menu, a much larger dining area for customers, and a drive-thru, making it very different from the tiny, carry out-focused original location. Now, that Blairs Ferry restaurant will be the only Salsa Guy Cafe in Cedar Rapids... for the time being.

The Closure

After almost two years at the Mount Vernon Rd location, owner Tim Palmer has decided to shut the original Salsa Guy Cafe down. The announcement on social media cites a couple of reasons for the decision, including less traffic and a "major" upcoming road construction project. Luckily, the restaurant on Blairs Ferry Rd isn't going anywhere. In fact, it will be expanding its services! The Facebook post reads:

"The Salsa Guy Café on Blairs Ferry Road is the result of our success at Mt. Vernon Road and we will begin to offer Door-Dash, Grub Hub and Uber Eats delivery services from that location so those of you who rely on food delivery can continue to enjoy our menu without interruption."

The original Salsa Guy Cafe will have its last day in business on Saturday, April 25th from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For the latest updates, you can following the official Facebook page HERE.

Salsa Guy Cafe via Facebook

The Final Surprise...

Tim gave customers one final tidbit of information about the future of Salsa Guy Cafe at the very end of his Facebook announcement! It says:

"Can you keep a secret? Yeah? So can I!

There are other locations in the works. (Yes, plural). But for now, it’s much too early to say a single word about any of this.

Business is business. Everything must be just right and then I’ll be back here with more news that you should find very exciting!!"

We can't wait to see what the future brings for Salsa Guy Cafe!

Salsa Guy Cafe via Facebook

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