A longtime west-end Davenport restaurant will permanently close its doors in a couple of weeks.
Tappa’s Steak House, formerly named the Sports Page, will close at 8 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 7.
Business owners Cliff and Jan Tappa announced in October they are retiring after more than 40 years in the business. In fact, Feb. 8 would have marked the 41st anniversary of the opening of the restaurant.
In an interview with the QCBJ last fall, the Tappas announced their retirement and that the business was for sale. However, it appears no potential buyers are on the horizon for the 1620 Rockingham Road restaurant.
“Oh, no. It’s done. … It’s just not in God’s plan,” Ms. Tappa told the QCBJ on Wednesday morning, Jan. 25, when asked about the possibility of a buyer still coming forward.
The Tappas publicly announced the upcoming closure on the restaurant’s Facebook page on Tuesday, Jan. 24.
“We would like to thank this community for their love and support throughout all of these wonderful 41 years as it’s time for Cliff and Jan to retire. … Thank you again for all of your patronage, friendship and memories. We love you all,” according to the Facebook post.
Since that announcement, the Tappas have been receiving many notes and messages of support and thanks.
“The whole town is sad about this,” she said Wednesday. “But, it’s OK. The whole community has supported us. They supported us during the flood. They supported us during COVID. … But 41 years in this business is a long time.”
Last year, as the business celebrated its 40th anniversary, Tappa’s Steak House went through some major exterior work totaling about $86,000. A grant program through the city provided much of the funding for extensive renovations that included new siding, roof, doors and gutters. The couple also invested in new electrical work and the parking lot.
The exterior upgrade was the latest chapter for a business that has a long history and has fed generations of foodie fans through the Quad Cities region and beyond.
For many years, those fans came to know the business through the long running advertising slogan: “Great steaks don’t just happen.” (That slogan told customers that Tappa’s great steaks take time, talent, knowledge and patience to create.)
Mr. Tappa told the QCBJ last year the business had the “Great Steaks” campaign for 17 years and “it vaulted us into the stratosphere as far as business goes; it doubled our business.”
Currently, the business has about 12 employees. But Mr. Tappa said he doesn’t like to use the term “employees.” “They are family,” he added.
