An icon restaurant in the Quad Cities has announced that it will permanently close in February.
Ross’ Family Restaurant at 2297 Falcon Ave., Bettendorf, will close on Monday, Feb. 12, the business owners announced on the restaurant’s Facebook page on Monday, Jan. 29.
Just a few hours earlier on Monday, the restaurant used the Facebook page to announce the business was open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day, displaying photos of several of its dishes.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the final day of operations for Ross’ at our Falcon Drive location. … We would like to sincerely thank the millions of customers who have visited us over the years, some of you are a part of our daily routine and we will miss you all dearly. … Our building is for sale/lease currently and our hope is for something amazing to take our place at Falcon Drive,” according to the closing announcement post.
The restaurant has been going through a transition in the past few months. On Nov. 2, 2023, Cynthia L. (Ross) Freidhof, 72, one of its owners, died.
Ms. Freidhof and her husband, Ron, were co-owners of Ross’ Restaurant, which has been at 2297 Falcon Ave. since 2015. Not long before Ms. Freidhof’s death, the couple announced plans to retire and close the current business location after owning Ross’ for decades. (The 85-year-old restaurant was founded by Ms. Freidhof’s father, Harold Ross, in 1938 in downtown Bettendorf.)
The Freidhof family, though, also announced in an October news release plans to retain the business and search for a smaller space to reopen the restaurant with new management. They said this plan will “continue the Ross” generational legacy of providing quality home-cooked food to the local community, travelers and presidential candidates.
The restaurant’s former location near the riverfront was popular with politicians, including a surprise stop from President Barack Obama in 2011. The site was just off the old I-74 Bridge and was relocated due to construction of the new bridge.
Some of the other celebrities to visit the restaurant over the years included Joe Biden, Jimi Hendrix, Bette Midler, Johnny Cash and Bill Murray, according to the Ross’ Restaurant website.
“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,” Ron Freidhof said in the earlier news release.
In Monday’s Facebook post, the restaurant’s leaders said: “In memory of Harold Ross, we will be offering y’all some customer appreciation specials these last few weeks, so come on in and get your Rossburger/Magic Mountain fix. We will be open to serve you daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.”
That Facebook announcement also left the door open for a Ross’ Restaurant comeback story in the coming years. “We WILL open some classic Ross’ location(s) within the next few years, so it’s NOT goodbye, it’s see you later,” according to the Facebook post.
