By Chris Hjelmgren –
Mason City – Suzie Q Café in downtown Mason City has been a staple of downtown eating since 1948. Currently owned and operated in Mason City by Troy & Chris Levenhagen and family. Suzie Q can be found at 14 2nd St. N.W. in downtown Mason City.
Suzie Q will be getting a facelift in July and will be closed for about 4-6 weeks Levenhagen said, the entire outside will be getting redone new windows, awnings, signage, and steel siding will all be getting replaced. Don’t worry though he will be up and running at a temporary location in downtown Mason City with a concession trailer near Cenex. Suzie Q has been getting their funding for their facelift from a generous Federal Government Grant called the Street Scape Program. The cost of the remodel is estimated to be around $50,000.00. The owner will be paying $5,000.00 of this estimated cost and the rest will be funded by the Street Scape Program run by the Federal Government.
The café qualified for this Federal Grant by being on the National List of Historic Places and being located in an area of Mason City where the community is doing a street scape project. Other downtown businesses that have received money for this program are: Brick Furniture, Ransom’s, Lorado’s, and Rieman Music are just a few more examples of the 14 businesses in all of Mason City that received the funding.
According to Levenhagen he quotes” there are only twenty two Valentine Diners left in operation today. Three of which are located in Muscatine and Spencer Iowa in addition to our local Suzie Q’s. The next closet one is Mickey’s in Saint Paul, Minnesota. When these diners began in the late 40’s you could actually by them from a catalog for $5,000.00 and have them delivered and up and running for business within two hours of the delivery time.
Suzie Q’s offers a fun atmosphere, great food, breakfasts start at $4.99 for the special and the only restaurant open for breakfast in downtown Mason City according to Levenhagen. Their tenderloin is rated second in the nation. Plus, when you leave Suzie Q’s you never leave hungry they have a great staff, generous proportions at good prices. So stop on in for a bite they have fresh baked buns and pies from Bumbleberry bakery located right downtown in Mason City and the rest of their food is purchased locally and made fresh right in front of your eyes. So next time you are hungry and looking to try something different remember that special little Valentine Diner Suzie Q’s.
Had talk with Troy one day about people going to McDonalds instead of supporting small places like his. Then he tells me he wasn’t going to hire a small MC contractor to do some concrete work for him because they cost to much. Sounded like a hypocrite to me. I hope that money requires him to hire a local company to do his remodel or he won’t be helping out a fellow small business owner.
Troy and Chris..do what you need to, leave the nay-sayers in your dust.
Very nice article, very well written. I support local businesses that are here to stay and help north Iowa. Helping one or helping 14 businesses helps north Iowa. I love eating at Suzie Q. Everyone should try it at least once…good work Troy. Can’t wait to see the new and improved Suzie Q.
I am the owner of the Suzie Q. I have read all of your comments and I appreciate and respect all of your opinions. I can’t say I agree with all of them but it is our right as Americans to post what we feel. I would like to clarify how this all started. City staff approached me and asked if I would be interested in a facade grant for the Suzie Q. I listened and became very interested. I decided I would like to be involved in this just as 13 other downtown businesses did. I am very proud of our city council for voting for this $500,000.00 grant to come to Mason City. There were 63 of these grants given out to the state of Iowa for historical buildings. Mason City was the third to obtain this grant. Keep in mind that if Mason City would not have taken advantage of this opportunity, the money would have gone to another city. I applaud our city council for approving this grant. I don’t feel bad preserving one of Mason City’s oldest restaurants in town. My wife and I have also worked hard for our money and are taxpayers. These grants are available for anyone who would like to take the time to research and apply. Remember, I was approached by city staff and asked if I was interested. How many people would have said they weren’t interested? Be honest. Visitors to our city come in daily and express to me how beautiful our downtown is. With this grant, it will only get more beautiful and draw more visitors into Mason City. This project will assure that the Suzie Q will be around for many years to come. We are very proud to own this historical diner.
Troy works very hard running the Suzie Q. His restaurant is definitely an attraction, and I wish him continued success. Can’t wait to see how the renovation turns out.
We welcome the changes to SuzieQ, we welcome the Mason City citizen that knows MC needs to make drastic changes. To Troy/Chris, you are hard working positive people, look to the future, always gear towards an outcome you want.Love always.
-ceo Hootenanny
To all you suzie Q supporters, you are more then welcome to pay for their remodeling. I have lived here over 40 years and been there twice. If it was a strip joint in a historical building getting all that money most of you would be against it. How is this more important then SSI,medicare or healthcare? No one cries socialist over this program, ridiculous!
Historical building, I would not be against. It’s a matter of numbers here.
Not many buildings built in 1888, would fetch $38 per square foot annually. Nor would many 15 story buildings in Mason City boast a 96% occupancy rate at those prices. But when the European investors who purchased the Rookery in Chicago ($73 million) announced they would perform an estensive interior and exterior renovation on their own dime, it was no surprise.
And that’s the difference between a huge urban area, and small town Mason City. When you can bring in a premium rental rate, it is not that hard to have money to spend on renovations.
But too many people believe in a disposable community, one in which if they get tired of it, tear it down and put up a Morton building. Morton buildings while they may be functional, rarely bring character to a community. The only other alternative is to tear it down, and leave the lot empty for trash to accumulate, like it does everywhere else.
Yeah, that’s what people who bring jobs to communities really want to see, more empty trash strewn lots! And you wonder why Mason City does not grow with attitudes like that? If I was that investor, I would make a beeline back to the airport and look elsewhere!
My house was built in 1900 so will I be receiving a check to fix up all the things that I should have been paying for myself. People want to live in a community with nice houses as well as businesses. Bottom line is if you don’t take care of your own property it will get torn down. I will be looking in my mailbox for my betterment of Mason City check.
Anonymouse you can apply for a 5 year tax abatement on your home if you make improvements to it. I think I read something about this on Mason City’s website..
I think on the local level, we have to decide if this business is worth keeping. Same goes for all other buildings that are old, and require extensive rehab. How it gets done, and how much, is also worthy of local discussion.
But let me add this if I may. When ‘selling’ Mason City to outside folks, we must have a city with some sort of character and curb appeal.
I have seen towns and cities nation wide, that have stripped themselves of any sort of character what so ever. Tear everything old down, and build new. No rhyme or reason either.
In other cases, I have seen where older towns have prospered, because they kept their quaint look and feel. It’s good stuff.
The question becomes, how do you want our community to look when visitors come to town? What kind of ‘look’ would impress them enough to stay? Lastly, and most importantly, the cost to the taxpayer.
Mind you, the impact to the local government should be minimal at best. What is the cost, and what is the real gain? Obviously, the gain in this situation is to keep an existing business going, contributing to the local economy.
But the cost! To take that $50,000 cost, and spread it upon the 18,000 local taxpayers, would be larger than if the funds come from the 1.8 million Iowa taxpayers, that burden would be much less. Now imagine if it were spread over the 219,000,000 taxpayers in the entire U.S. That burden of $50,000 would become much smaller. It would cost $2.77 per MC taxpayer; 2.777¢ for every Iowa taxpayer; and .028¢ for every U.S. taxpayer. (Bear in mind, I am not saying that scheme was right or wrong, just using it as an example – also these are rough estimates).
Yes, I know there is other principle involved. But just as with TIFF and other acts used to draw business to communities, are we willing to do what it takes to compete, and still keep the local cost down?
Peter if you live in Clear Lake what does anything Mason City businesses are doing bother you? I for one am glad a mom and po business is getting the help! Its not McDonalds, or another national food chain. Stay in Clear Lake!
Tom, you may have trouble reading. The money is coming from all taxpayers across the entire United States. Furthermore, I was born in Mason City, and grew up there. Some may argue that I have never grown up…I cannot argue that my psychological and emotional growth was stunted and I chalk that up to tumultuous domestic circumstances (i.e. ma and pa relentless fought). Either way, I have a voice in Mason City politics.
It is still taxpayer money. No matter what name you give it. Funds should not go to private businesses, they need to pay for their own stuff. It is called the free market. Also, giving funds to low to moderate wage earners is redistribution of wealth— who determines who gets to decide who gets the funds? Besides it does not take long for others to figure out how to game these programs. Think how many handouts are given to rich people–think Solyndra.
If I want to help out a family member or friend I will do my own redistribution of wealth but then I choose who gets it, not someone else deciding for me.
mark, all of the downtown businesses were offered to be apart of this new street scape. some people declined the offer of the grant because they did not want to pay the 10% they would be required to pay. so, all businesses had a chance to be a part of this some just chose not to.
@Sijr, you sound like a very negative person. Can you find the good in anything? If you haven’t been in the Suzie Q for 16 years, how do you know it is a greasy spoon? My family goes to the Suzie Q quite often (as do many other people) and we absolutely love it! The food is amazing and the people are so friendly. I have never had to use a greasy spoon either. How can you judge something that you have never experienced? Doesn’t make much sense to me.
Good post Mike H, but some just don’t get it… I’m disappointed, nobody commented on the video, which is a (real) problem in this, soon to be, third world country.
I am totally against government suporting private business with my tax money. Whatever happened to investing your own money in a business and then reinvesting your own profits to maintain and grow the business. It is one of the reasons I was against Vision Iowa and the Park Inn. There is no free money from the government in these programs. It all comes out of taxes somewhere. This is money that could and should have been spent legitimately on our roads and bridges that they all say needs repair. The place was a greasy spoon when I was a kid (yes-I remember Dad’s Hambutger’s) and I doubt it has improved with age. If you want a business, pay for it yourself.
I saw a presentation about this at a conference recently and will try to shed a few more details on this program. The purpose of this program is to have a significant impact on significant structures (those listed or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in which the Susie Q is) that will immediately (12 to 24 months) visually transform a downtown. About 70% of these funds are coming from Iowa’s allocation of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) while 30% comes from a local revolving loan fund (RLF). CDBG Funds come from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Each state and urban city (population of 50k+) are allocated CDBG Funds annually. HUD’s annual allocation in CDBG Funds over the past decade has been in the $3 to $5 billion range. Annual CDBG allocations have been going on since the 1970’s. The objectives of CDBG Funds are to provide benefit to low to moderate income wage earners and to assist communities who demonstrate urgent need with slum and blight elimination.
Leave the coutnry Peter and you won’t have to worry about it….get a job, pay taxes and then voice your own opinion.
most of u are f—- in the head start a business with your own money, make upgrades with your own money & quit looking for handouts, remember when you make money it goes in your pocket or maybe you should give it away so your fellow business can remodel his store on your dime, think about it !!!!!!!!!!!
This has been going on for a while. Look at what Moremans got to move across the street.Its crazy!
Does everybody realise how many taxpayers it takes to get this $50,000 “free grant”? And how do you get a grant like that when you don’t even own the land the little box sits on??!! Our governments are going broke, from city halls to Washington D.C. and this is just another example of runaway government spending. We are going down a road of entitlements and government handouts that cannot be sustained.
Just think Peter how much grass that would buy.
Yes, Peter, think of all the free land you could get instead.
It’s a gold rush! All businesses alert!! Govt money to be had in downtown Mason City! Hurry and get in line for free govt money! I can’t understand why our country is going broke when we have wonderful programs like this dishing out hundreds of billions of dollars of free money at taxpayer expense. People need to wake up as to why we are in the financial situation we are in.
All these govt giveaways contribute to our debt problem. I’m trying to figure out why taxpayers want to fund other private citizen’s businesses. Do you understand how this works? If not why don’t you educate yourselves? Are you paying taxes yourself and you don’t mind if your taxes keep going up so others can prosper, perhaps at your expense? That person that talked about how other cities are receiving these types of funds has it exactly right. Where does it end? We are borrowing money to keep going now. Why are public funds being used for private business? Who gets to choose who gets the funds? This doesn’t seem like a formula for corruption to anyone? Grants aren’t “free” money—where do you think the money comes from?
This is what people should be complaining about, $50,000.00 for a small home town business is nothing.
http://www.infowars.com/illegal-immigrants-find-tax-loophole-irs-knows-cost-to-taxpayers-4-2-bill
Shouldn’t these negative posts be on the Whiners Den site? (rants and raves) 🙂
Left Mason City in our rear view mirrow, finally, last December. Agree with Jesse on one thing, the city is anti business. If you want to see how it should be done, just drive west to Clear Lake…that city knows how to treat its retailers!
And it doesn’t pick and choose favorites.
I too have read opinions and comments left by new businesses that have fought uphill against Mason City and it’s old guard. It’s a shame that new businesses needs to do this and that the welcome mat is out back in the dumpster. Why not embrace these new businesses and owners who want to be here and remodel?
I love it when peole like Sijr make comments on places they admittedly never been to. OMG that’s shows their lack of smarts. You go SuziQ, make us proud.Take Mason City back is right.
Sijr: This is what has been known as Hootenanny Incorporated Syndrome, a poster like you that hasn’t been to SuziQ in 16 years makes a horrid comment. Mason City fights new business constantly.
Troy and Chris are good people with a great product. Maybe Sijr needs to relocate.Were taking Mason City back and giving it to it’s citizens.
Sorry…been to the interior…nuff said!
As for the grants, Alexis de Tocqueville said it best, “The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.”
John, in the case of to bad, it’s “too bad” you don’t know the difference.
It reply to sijr, it must not be to bad, the business has been open for 63 years, and now it’s worthy of remodeling. Just an observation.
Hope this includes a complete cleanup of the interior…it’s a greasy spoon…one my wife and I refused to eat at for the 16 years we lived in Mason City!
You don’t know what your missing! Anybody remember “Dad’s Hamburgers” in Comercial Alley years ago? They were the greaseist, best hamburgers in Mason City.
My family and I eat at the SuzieQ AT LEAST once a week. Other than normal wear & tear I have never seen ANY health or cleanliness issues. How dare you comment on the interior of a business you claim to have not been a customer of?!
I apologize, I did not mean for my above response to be from Anonymous.