New Restaurant Opens In Richland

RICHLAND – Locals Bill Randall and Dave Brown opened Country Junction, a new restaurant specializing in pizza and subs, on Mar. 3. Previously, the location housed Loriann's, a local diner. Loriann’s closed last summer. Bill Randall, who owns a frame straightening business in the same building, bought Loriann’s when it closed. Randall was then approached by his friend Dave Brown with the idea of opening a restaurant.

“The two of us talked it through and said, well, how about we just do a restaurant again? We both are foodies. We both like certain things,” said Brown. “Everybody likes pizza. And in this part of the world, to go and get pizza, there’s a bit involved; you either have to go to Fairfield or Sigourney or Washington or wherever. It’s a 30-minute drive. We thought pizza, and then along with pizza you always have to have sandwiches.”

Much of the restaurant’s equipment was bought from Country Junction, a restaurant in Dyersville, including that restaurant's sign. “They were selling the sign that day...and we thought, you know what? Is there any law against us just buying their sign and using it?” said Brown. The duo opted to call their new restaurant Country Junction as well.

Randall plans to give the restaurant a railway theme, and is looking to install a model train running on a track near the ceiling. “The railroad track used to run right through here,” said Randall. “And we just kind of decided to bring back the depot part of it. It’s something different. Nobody around here has that sort of theme.”

“People are social creatures. They love interaction. That's part of the reason we thought the restaurant would be supported,” said Brown. “(Loriann's) was a place where people got together every day. Bill probably ate here every day for the last 25 years. (The challenge is) how to provide a quality product at an affordable price. That’s the biggest thing.”

“We’re just trying to find another place in town to eat, " said Randall. “Give people more choices, different things to eat than what’s already here...I think we’ll get a good turnout. The community seems to be behind us on it. Everybody’s talking about it. Everybody’s happy and excited to get it open...We’re hoping everything fairs out and we can please them and make them happy.”