BEAVERDALE, Iowa — As the world shut down in early 2020, Joe and Alex Tripp were trying to find ways to keep their restaurant, Harbinger, operating.
"We couldn't find a way to seat guests and continue to have our employees be employed," Joe said. "We tried really hard to find a way to reach what was happening at the time and have food for people to enjoy at home."
Basic Bird offered a way for people to take good food home, while supporting businesses during the pandemic. The restaurant operated at Harbinger for a year and a half, before moving to a Sunday-only experience there.
In September, Basic Bird stopped operations at Harbinger and announced their move to Beaverdale. The new location used to be home to the Rice Bowl for 47 years.
"We're excited to jump in and continue to offer Beaverdale some place that will be part of their neighborhood for everybody to enjoy," Joe said.
The building itself is decorated with a mural designed by Nic Roth, a local artist.
Alex had collaborated with Roth on the design to enhance the restaurant's exterior and interior.
"Just wanted it to be really bright and cheery," Alex said. "Didn't want it to be basic, unlike the name."
One of the decorations inside, the neon bird, will be a familiar sight to any previous visitors.
"[It] hung in the window for two years at Harbinger's location, [and it] is now here," Joe said. "So it really has kind of come full circle."
When Basic Bird opened in 2020, they sold out in 45 minutes.
"Hopefully we last longer than we did," Joe said.