A longtime downtown Davenport business is about to begin its next chapter.
Boozie’s Bar & Grill, which was located at 114 1/2 W. Third St. for decades, will reopen in the Freight House at 421 W. River Drive at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 5, according to Boozie’s Facebook page.
“We’ll be pouring drinks and serving up delicious eats straight from the kitchen. … This soft launch gives our team a chance to get into the groove and we can’t wait to share it with you,” according to the Facebook announcement.
Boozie’s will be open 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday; and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The kitchen will be open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Boozie’s, a longtime business in downtown Davenport, was established in 1979. Last July, the business closed after structural problems were discovered on the second floor of its business home on Third Street.
In the fall, the owners of Boozie’s announced the business would be leaving its longtime home and moving to the Freight House. In September, Boozie’s signed a five-year lease agreement for space in the Freight House property. That lease agreement provided four months with no rent payments due, three months with reduced rent, and then full rent payments would begin through the end of the five-year term. The rationale was that there would likely be two months of construction work planned by the city that would prevent the business from opening.
“Though it’s a difficult transition, we’re optimistic about the future and the new dreams we’re pursuing. We recognize the challenges of relocating a business, but we’re determined to thrive,” the business owners announced at the time on Facebook.
Construction work started in the fall to convert about 4,500 square feet of space in the Freight House into Boozie’s new home. Last month, the Davenport City Council approved a move for the business to delay paying rent for the space until April, due to construction delays.
“The rehabilitation work involving windows, flooring, and HVAC has taken longer than originally anticipated and, as such, the business is now anticipating opening sometime in February, roughly two months later than they had anticipated. The business owner asked if two additional months with no rent payments could be inserted into the previously approved rent concession schedule to help accommodate the loss of revenue,” according to a resolution presented to the council on Feb. 11.
