Mexican restaurant opens in Dubuque; Retro diner makes Guttenberg debut; Lancaster flower farm blooms at new location – BizTimes.biz
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Biz Buzz publishes business news from the tri-state area. This edition highlights developments in Dubuque, Guttenberg, Iowa and Lancaster, Wisconsin.
For owner Cristian Hernandez, the grand opening of Las Margarritas restaurant was something of a homecoming.
The restaurant was recently opened in
1091 Main St. will serve a variety of Central American dishes in the space formerly occupied by Salsa’s, a Mexican restaurant where Hernandez worked for nearly two decades before taking over as chef.
“I’m excited to be able to open the doors again and bring customers back,” Hernandez said. “It took about six months to get everything ready, but it’s a good feeling – like coming home and welcoming people back.”
Hernandez was a familiar face to Salsa’s regulars, as he had worked at the restaurant for more than 17 years before purchasing the space for himself.
He started as a dishwasher before moving up to server and later manager. The restaurant was his first – and only – employer after moving to Dubuque from his native Guatemala.
“I always told the previous owner that I imagined owning this house one day. It was my dream,” he said. “I had several job offers elsewhere, but I always stayed here because I really fell in love with this place.”
Hernandez purchased the Salsa space earlier this year and the restaurant closed for several months for renovations. The kitchen underwent a number of upgrades and improvements, he said, and the dining area received a facelift.
During this time, he also updated the menu, which now includes brisket tacos and tortas, among other Mexican street food classics and homemade dishes—many of them based on recipes straight from Hernandez’s mother’s kitchen.
And of course, the restaurant also offers the drink of the same name: fresh, handmade margaritas.
“We want to offer more authentic and fresh margaritas,” Hernandez said. “We will offer handmade margaritas along with frozen margaritas … because we want to have something for everyone.”
Las Margarrita’s is open Sunday through Thursday from 11am to 10pm and Friday and Saturday from 11am to 11pm. For more information and a full menu, visit Las Margarritas online on their Facebook page.
Retro diner opens in Guttenberg
A retro 1950s-style diner has opened in Clayton County.
Pearl’s Diner recently opened at 310 Pearl Street in Guttenberg. The old-fashioned eatery is open seven days a week and serves a variety of traditional diner fare, including burgers, hot dogs, ice cream and more.
“We just want people to come in and have a good time,” said co-owner Tracy Dreesen. “We have a nice, family atmosphere and we’re here to serve good food to the Guttenberg community.”
Dreesen and her husband, Mike, recently moved to Guttenberg after years of vacationing on Esmann Island. The couple previously ran a restaurant in Newton, Iowa, and have more than 20 years of combined experience in the hospitality industry.
Dreesen had been looking for a place to open a retro restaurant for years, and she said the Pearl Street location was too good to pass up. The couple now co-owns the restaurant with Randy and Tammy Dillabou.
“Fifteen years ago, I was working as a nurse and told my coworkers that one day I would open a ’50s-style diner where there would be a big menu, I would have a big hairdo and I would wear a pearl necklace around my neck,” she said. “… We saw that this (space) was on Pearl Street, and we took that as a sign.”
Pearl’s Diner is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information about the restaurant and its offerings, visit facebook.com/PearlsDinerGuttenberg.
Lancaster flower farm moves to new location
A local flower farm is in full bloom at its new location.
Rech Family Gardens is growing its first crop of flowers this summer at the new family property, 4499 Coon Hollow Road in rural Lancaster. The operation previously operated in a smaller space in Lancaster before moving just outside the city limits.
The farm is a riot of color in the rural landscape, where fields of various blossoms and flowers occupy about 1.2 hectares next to the family’s new home.
“We have dahlias and sunflowers and all kinds of celosia. The list is just endless,” said owner Sally Rech. “We’re still working through a few things and learning how to best deal with the different types of soil (at the new location) … but it’s beautiful.”
Rech uses the flowers grown on the farm to deliver weekly or biweekly bouquets to customers in the Lancaster area. Each week, she also prepares about 200 bouquets to sell at the Dane County Farmers Market.
In addition to flowers, Rech also sells weekly vegetable boxes and grows pumpkins on her parents’ farm near Mount Hope.
She founded Rech Family Gardens in 2020 after her youngest child started school. Demand for the bouquets increased each year, and it became clear that additional space was needed if the business was to keep up.
“We outgrew our space, but I knew I wanted to continue,” Rech said.
The farm is currently in the midst of its growing season, which Rech says lasts until October. She has set aside about a quarter of an acre for flowers, which she harvests and dries to sell as decorations during the colder months.
The homestead allows for additional on-site programming, Rech added, and she has already partnered with other local businesses to host yoga classes and other interactive events in the fields.
“Flowers connect people,” said Rech. “You can farm as much as you want, but for me the most important thing is the connections you make with other small businesses and the community.”
On August 24 and 25, Rech Family Gardens will host its first Sunflower Festival, including field tours, arts and crafts booths and food from local food trucks. More information about the event and what the farm has to offer can be found online at facebook.com/rechfamilygardens.