St. Louis-Based Barbecue Chain Coming to Cedar Rapids

Cedar Rapids is getting a new barbecue restaurant. Sugarfire Smoke House is coming to the west side.

Sugarfire Smoke House will be located in the former F&M Bank Building at 2350 Edgewood Road SW. Remodeling of the 3200-square-foot building will begin very soon and the restaurant is expected to open in May. It will seat 60 inside and 32 more on an outdoor patio.

The restaurant chain's co-founders Charlie Downs and Mike Johnson will be joined by  J.D. Powers, Johanna Powers, Henry Powers, and Diane and Mark Niebuhr to run the Cedar Rapids location as a franchise. The Niebuhr's will continue to operate Hope's Bridal in Atkins and will be offering the restaurant's food for catering.

Johanna Powers told the Gazette,

It’s extremely exciting to bring some of the best food from my new home of St. Louis to my native Cedar Rapids.

The first Sugar Fire Smokehouse opened eight years ago and now has nine Missouri locations. The Cedar Rapids restaurant will be the company's 16th, and the first in Iowa. It will be open seven days a week and will feature specials each day that include locally-produced meats and produce.

You can see the menu for the St. Louis location HERE.