BETTENDORF, Iowa — The owners of Ross' Restaurant, a Quad Cities landmark, have announced plans to close its current location after more than 85 years in existence.
According to a press release from owners Ron and Cynthia Freidhof sent Tuesday, Oct. 17, the couple plans to retire after 50 years of running the restaurant.
The Bettendorf property of 2297 Falcon Ave. has been listed for sale with NAI Ruhl Commercial Company realtor Alex Kelly. The nearly 7,000-square-foot building is listed for $1,595,000.
The Freidhof family is looking to retain the business and will be searching for a smaller space to reopen with new management. They say this plan will "continue the Ross' generational legacy of providing quality home-cooked food to the local community, travelers and presidential candidates."
Ross is known as the "Home of the Magic Mountain," a dish of grilled Texas Toast covered with loose ground beef, piled with hashbrowns or French fries, and topped with cheese sauce.
The former location near the Davenport riverfront was particularly popular with politicians, including a surprise stop from President Barack Obama in 2011. The spot was just off the old I-74 Bridge and was relocated due to eminent domain when the restaurant was directly in the path of the new bridge construction.
“Losing the downtown property to eminent domain and the subsequent move was quite difficult for us, both as a family and business. A big part of our hearts were left behind at the downtown location," owner Ron Freidhof said in the release.
The restaurant had its struggles throughout the pandemic, supply chain issues, rising food costs and staffing shortages.
“My wife and I have realized that when you love what you do, there is never a perfect time to step away. But we aren’t getting any younger and we have realized that life is short...After 50 incredible and memorable years in the restaurant business, my wife and I are ready to travel, enjoy our retirement and more time with our grandchildren," Freidhof said.
Co-owner Cynthia Freidhof says that their most important visitors have been the many generations of Quad Citizens served.
“It has been a tremendous privilege to serve the greater Quad City Community for most of our lives, I would like to express our sincere gratitude and thank all of our customers for their support throughout the years," Cynthia said. "From serving hungry customers during their late-night stops to seeing the same families weekly for breakfast after church on Sundays, we truly have had the best customers in the world, they are like our extended family and we will miss them all dearly."