It was also a year in which Sherwin-Williams opened a new store on Fifth Avenue South and The Truck Doctors opened up to take care of big rig repairs.

Casablanca Steak House by Lomitas

Two well-known cooks with a long history of preparing tasty steaks and prime rib have reunited at Casablanca Steak House by Lomitas, 140 S. 25th St. This latest addition to Fort Dodge’s blossoming restaurant world is owned by Alfonso Galvan, who also owns Lomitas Mexican Restaurant 2223 Fifth Ave. S.

Gregg Harris and Jim Nicola are the managers and lead cooks at this new enterprise. The two have worked together for nearly a quarter century, first at The Cellar and most recently at Eilers Steakhouse.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Diane and Ron Grebner, co-owners of River Hops Brewing, look over some of the vessels they use to brew beer in. They are located at 1014 Central Ave. in downtown Fort Dodge.

Over the decades the steaks and prime rib that are their specialty have been big draws for beef lovers not only from Fort Dodge but also many neighboring communities.

Pizza Hut

The city’s Corridor of Commerce has welcomed a new incarnation of one of the booming thoroughfare’s longtime businesses. Pizza Hut has moved from 2940 Fifth Ave. S. to a new home at 2516 Fifth Ave. S., a short distance west of its former location.

The popular restaurant began operations at the new site on Dec. 20, 2017.

River Hops Brewing

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
The Truck Doctors owner Troy Waller, at left, along with Angel Sturm, accounts manager, look over a freshly painted truck hood in the extra large paint booth. They are located at 3375 Fifth Ave. S.

Downtown Fort Dodge is experiencing a commercial renaissance. It is becoming the home to a diverse array of specialized small businesses. The latest arrival is River Hops Brewing at 1014 Central Ave.

This new enterprise in the city’s historic center offers a unique selection of beers that have been crafted onsite by Ron Grebner, who co-owns the business with his wife, Diane Grebner. The combination brewery, taproom and entertainment venue began serving the public on July 25.

The establishment welcomes customers from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. Additionally, River Hops Brewing can be booked for private parties and events.

Gaga and Hoo Korean Restaurant

Gaga and Hoo Korean Restaurant, 368 Country Club Drive, opened Aug. 31.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Taylor Stanley, manager of the Sherwin-Williams store demonstrates the analyzyer that can match a customers sample and create a mix to match it. The new store is located at Fifth Avenue South and South 32nd Street in Fort Dodge.

Korean cuisine featuring marinated barbecue meats and other delightfully spicy and sweet dishes are offered at the restaurant, which is located next to the Fort Dodge Country Club.

The restaurant is named after Byeong-Whan Won’s two children, Gaga and Hoo.

Sherwin-Williams

The Sherwin-Williams store in Fort Dodge is now located in a new building at 3225 Fifth Ave. S. — the city’s booming Corridor of Commerce. The local outlet of the nation’s largest specialty retailer of paints, stains, coatings and wall coverings does more than just sell paint and related products.

According to Taylor Stanley, store manager, she and her team members stand ready to provide customers with the advice and assistance that will helps ensure that each project unfolds flawlessly.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Pam Johnson, owner of The Big Picture, looks over a spiral wood decorative piece of art among the antique furniture items and other decor items in her newly opened shop in the 700 block of Central Avenue in downtown Fort Dodge.

The store offers an immense product selection. Stanley said her customers are a diverse mix of commercial contractors, homeowners and just about anyone who has a painting, staining or decorating project.

“We serve everyone from do-it-yourself homeowners wanting to paint a room to providing industrial coatings at major manufacturers renovating their floors and things like that,” she said. “Probably 60 percent is contractors and then 40 percent is do-it-yourself.”

The Truck Doctors

Troy Waller has opened a new business on Fort Dodge’s booming Corridor of Commerce

In early April, he launched The Truck Doctors at 3375 Fifth Ave. S.

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
Dollar General, located at 1810 First Ave. S., is now open for business.

“We’re focusing on semis and RVs,” Waller said. “Major stuff. Fabrication work. It’s pretty much body work. With the RVs, we’ll be doing all the maintenance of those things.”

While body work and vehicle painting will be at the heart of the projects The Truck Doctors handles, other services are also available including installing and repairing electronics.

Access Systems

Access Systems recently recognized their Fort Dodge location as Branch of the Year.

This branch was recognized because of its tremendous growth over the past year and the high level of service and support provided to their copier, IT and telecommunications customers from the local sales and service team, according to Jessica Donahue, a company spokesperson.

“This branch continues to amaze me,” Shane Sloan, president and CEO of Access Systems, said. “As the sales manager, Lindsay Baessler continues to uplift this branch not only in sales, but in community engagement and the importance of our culture. The entire Fort Dodge team emulates our values and continues to make us proud.”

Active Health Chiropractic

The arrival in Fort Dodge and Webster County of new businesses and companies has created a boom atmosphere in the community. The positive economic environment brought about by new ventures is also making it more attractive for already-established enterprises to invest in expansions.

That’s one of the reasons Dr. Josh Mason decided to relocate and expand two thriving businesses he leads — Active Health Chiropractic and Anytime Fitness.

“The local economy was a reassuring factor for both of our businesses,” he said. “To know that we have a healthy and growing economy in the area gave me comfort that my hunch and my gut that we could continue to grow was valid. It made me more comfortable with the decision to grow the business.”

In 2017, Mason set about creating a new home for his ventures, which as the year began were located at 1523 Second Ave. N. A building at 20 N. 29th St., which once housed one of the community’s largest restaurants, was purchased and renovated to house the chiropractic practice. A substantial addition was built on the west side of the structure to become the new home of the fitness facility.

The Bookworm and Consignment Shop

In the 34 years since it was launched, Joyce Bickford has seen her business evolve in response to assorted commercial opportunities. One thing, however, has remained constant at The Bookworm and Consignment Shop, 1031 S. 22nd St. — books are at the heart of the enterprise.

“I started out as a used book store,” Bickford said. “In my store now, books are the big seller.”

For a time, the used-book focus was augmented with video rentals.

“I got into videos and I was renting videos out,” Bickford said. “I bought out Adventureland Videos here in Fort Dodge. I did that for quite a few years. Video rentals went to the wayside because everybody was streaming.”

Dollar General

Dollar General relocated to 1810 First Ave. S. in the summer of 2018.

The new location features a fresh layout, designed to make shopping easier and simpler for customers. Some of the store’s new features include seasonal products featured in the center of the store, easily recognizable departments with visible signage and coolers that are more conveniently located at the front of the store.

Dollar General stores offer convenience and value to customers by providing a focused selection of national brands and private brands of food, housewares, seasonal items, cleaning supplies, basic apparel and health and beauty care products.

Fort Dodge Ford Lincoln Toyota

Fort Dodge Ford Lincoln Toyota, 2723 Fifth Ave. S., has the unique distinction of being honored for outstanding performance by two major automakers in the same year. Owned by the Johnson Family, the enterprise received a prestigious President’s Award from both Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. It was the only dealership in the Hawkeye State to achieve this recognition from both auto companies in 2017.

“It’s a daunting task to win these with all the things we have to accomplish,” said Matt Johnson, one of the dealership’s co-owners and general manager of Fort Dodge Ford Lincoln Toyota. “Less than 10 percent of the dealers achieve this award. They are comprehensive awards so the winners aren’t just based on one aspect.”

Johnson said an array of factors are evaluated by Ford and Toyota in determining which of their dealers warrant each company’s top honor. Among the performance measures assessed are customer satisfaction, sales volume, market share and service after the initial sale.

Fort Dodge Ford won the President’s Award from Ford in both 2016 and 2017. In addition to being selected for this honor by Toyota in 2017, it has received it three times previously.

Kwik Star

Kwik Star increased its presence in Fort Dodge by adding three convenience stores in the area within the past year.

In February 2017, a Kwik Trip Express was added at the corner of Second Avenue North and 15th Street. The name was later changed to Tobacco Outlet Plus Grocery, but ownership and everything inside the store remained the same.

Then in October 2018, a full-sized Kwik Trip convenience store opened along the city’s Corridor of Commerce at 3121 Fifth Ave. S, on the east side of Fort Dodge.

Most recently, the company opened another full-size convenience store at 1606 S. Triton Drive. That store is on the west side of Fort Dodge, near Iowa Central Community College.

Arby’s

Arby’s, which serves premium deli-inspired sandwiches, opened at 2908 Fifth Ave. S, in December 2018.

DRM, an Arby’s franchisee, has operated Arby’s restaurants in the Iowa market since 1977. Fort Dodge is its 93rd Arby’s restaurant in the Midwest. More than 3,200 Arby’s restaurants exist in the United States.

The building Arby’s is housed in was home to Fazoli’s before that restaurant closed in February.

The 3,500-square-foot space was converted into an Arby’s restaurant.

Hiway Truck Equipment

Big things happened at Hiway Truck Equipment, 2246 First Ave. S.

“We’re basically doubling our shop space,” said Brian Forsythe, who has co-owned the enterprise with his wife, Kathy Forsythe, since 1998. “The existing shop floor was 50 feet by 75 feet. The new addition will be 65 by 85.”

Hiway Truck Equipment provides assorted augmentations to trucks.

“What the company does is we sell equipment that goes on trucks,” Brian Forsythe said. “We also repair trailers. We work on anything from for example a pickup truck where we would put equipment on to make it better usable for the end user all the way up to dump trucks and semi trucks. We do a lot of municipal work.”

Adding snowplows to a variety of vehicles is a major part of the company’s business.

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
Matt Johnson, general manager of Fort Dodge Ford Lincoln Toyota, visits with his father, Casey Johnson, owner of Fort Dodge Ford, about the two prestigious awards the dealership was awarded recently.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Hiway Truck Equipment co-owners Brian and Kathy Forsythe look over the interior of the new addition to their shop. They are located at 2246 First Ave. S. in Fort Dodge.

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