MINBURN, Iowa — Everyone knows their favorite local restaurants, especially when your hometown only has a little over 300 people. But in October, Minburn's famed Nineteen14 closed down, after city officials declined to extend the bar's lease.
"[I was] really concerned about what was going to happen to the building, what was going to happen to the business," said Harold Hill, a Minburn resident. "We like having this business in town, and it's a real landmark."
When Michael Roberts heard the news about the bar's closure, it gave him an idea.
"When the city decided to keep the property, I started working with the previous owners to buy the business to reopen it," Roberts said.
After two months of negotiation and preparation, Roberts reopened the Nineteen14 under a slightly different name—the Nineteen14 Depot. The bar first started welcoming customers again for New Year's, but Saturday marked the grand opening.
Some Minburn locals might be a little nervous about any major changes coming to their small-town favorite, but Roberts says he's not looking to make any major changes to what the Nineteen14 Depot is all about.
"It's on the historical society. People drive by. It's a beautiful building," Roberts said. "It had a great legacy when it was here under the previous owners and I just want to continue that legacy."
That legacy dates back decades. Before the depot was a bar, it was an actual train depot.
Some of the customers today still remember those days. Harold Hill used to showed off his skills in skating shows hosted at the depot.
"We were glad when it originally opened and felt like it had lots of good things about it," said Carol Hill, another Minburn resident.
"I'm glad to see that continue," Harold said. "Very, very pleased."
The Nineteen14 Depot is open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays.
Video below: Pervious reporting on The Nineteen14's closure