Jerry’s Restaurant to close after 52 years in business

After serving pizza for 52 years, Jerry's Restaurant in Mt. Pleasant is closing.

Residents who have frequented Jerry's Restaurant over the years have streamed into the pizzeria since they announced on Sunday, April 28, that they would be closing. On Tuesday, April 30, customers waited up to three hours for Jerry's pizza, and owners Jerry and Lea Bradley continue breaking their record for most pizzas sold in a single evening. On Thursday, May 2, they sold 172 pizzas.

Jerry's Restaurant will be open from 4:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 7, Thursday, May 9, and Saturday, May 11.

Jeff and Sheryl Crane, of New London, have been dining at Jerry's Restaurant since Jeff was a student at Iowa Wesleyan University in the early 1970s before Jerry's Restaurant moved from downtown to its current location.

'Back in those days, it was the only pizza place around,” Jeff said. 'Now there's a lot of them, but none of them are as good as Jerry's.”

Jeff said they used to eat at Jerry's Restaurant once a week when they lived in Mt. Pleasant before moving to New London. Now they don't come as often as they should have, Sheryl said.

'We're very sad,” Jeff said. 'This place has been an icon in the community for years. That's why we're here tonight. For one last Jerry's Pizza.”

Pam Clark was in Mt. Pleasant on Thursday, May 2, from Orlando, Fla. She visits her cousin in Mt. Pleasant every year, and dining at Jerry's Restaurant is always on the top of her to-do list. Clark had no idea when she was visiting Mt. Pleasant last week that it would be the last time she would get to eat at Jerry's Restaurant.

'It's tradition,” Clark said.

Paul Cross, of Mt. Pleasant, has been eating at Jerry's Restaurant since 1994.

'We like Jerry's pizza. It's the best pizza in town. It's a well known pizza place in southeast Iowa,” Cross said.

Marvin and Karen Krogmeier, of Mt. Pleasant, have been eating pizza made by Jerry since he worked for George's Pizza 54 years ago since before Jerry's Restaurant existed. Over the years, Jerry's Restaurant has just been a good place to get pizza, Karen said.

'I'm sad to see them close,” Karen said.

Carol Graber, of Crawfordsville, has been working for Jerry's Restaurant for just shy of 25 years. Her fondest memories of working at Jerry's Restaurant are the people she served over the years and the family she made.

'Being a part of a family-run restaurant, I almost feel like I'm family,” Graber said.

Graber enjoys the work, the people and serving good food. Graber said customers are a good mix of those who regularly frequent Jerry's Restaurant and those who are in from out of town.

'It's a good gathering place for friends and family,” Graber said. 'People who grew up in Mt. Pleasant and moved away come back for Jerry's. It's like the end of an era. It's a Mt. Pleasant tradition.”

For the love of Jerry's pizza

The Bradleys decided suddenly on April 28, that it was time to close the restaurant. They were down one cook and another cook is scheduled to have knee surgery.

'We knew we couldn't do it after that,” Lea said. 'It's just very bittersweet.”

Following the news of their closure, Jerry's Restaurant opened as usual on Tuesday, April 30, at 4:30 p.m. Lea had to take a trip to Iowa City, and by the time she got back to Jerry's Restaurant at 6 p.m., they were swamped.

'I was very shocked. I was getting messages from my daughter saying you've got to get here. People waited as long as three hours for pizza. We sold 144 pizzas that night,” Lea said.

There are no plans yet for the building, but Lea said they have had one inquiry from someone wanting to lease the building.

The beginning

Jerry and Lea started in the restaurant business after they graduated from Fairfield High School. They worked at George's Pizza in Fairfield, and then helped open a second George's Pizza in Mt. Pleasant in 1963. In 1967, Jerry and Lea bought out George and started their own pizzeria, Jerry's Restaurant. It was the first pizza place in Mt. Pleasant.

'I've always said you don't have to be crazy to be in the restaurant business, but it helps,” Lea said with a laugh.

Jerry's Restaurant prides itself on using fresh ingredients.

'We make our own sauce, grind our own sausage, make our own dough,” Lea said.

The recipe Jerry uses for his pizza crust is the same one he used when working at George's Pizza all those years ago. He just adds more eggs to it, he said.

'That's what sells the pizza is the pizza crust,” Jerry said.

After 11 years in downtown Mt. Pleasant, Jerry and Lea decided it was time to move to a larger location. Downtown they could only seat 50 people. On East Washington Street they can seat 200. They moved locations in 1978. They added a west wing to the building that year, and expanded their menu. Then, they had a fire.

Lea said someone threw five Molotov cocktails through the window in 1980, torching the west wing and resulting in $45,000 in damage. The Bradleys, however, are resilient. They did a lot of the labor themselves to get the restaurant up and running again in just six weeks.

It was difficult, but 'the community got behind us and helped,” Jerry said.

Until 2000, Jerry's Restaurant was open seven days a week. When they decided to close on Mondays, it opened up the possibility to host fundraisers Monday nights.

'This community had always been very good to us. I feel like you have to give back,” Lea said.

Jerry and Lea both agree that the most challenging aspect of owning a restaurant has been finding and retaining employees.

'You can't find employees,” Jerry said.

'It's gotten really difficult the last couple years,” Lea said. 'We have some very loyal employees, but with a place this size you have to have quite a few. The biggest challenge has been getting good help and keeping them.”

Closing up shop

Jerry never intended to go into the restaurant business. Before he started working at George's Pizza, the only thing he knew how to cook was eggs, he said.

Over the years, however, he grew to love it. Even so, Jerry says it's time to close up shop. Back in the kitchen, he uses a wheelchair when he cooks.

'Jerry's legs just don't work any longer,” Lea said.

Only hours after the Jerry and Lea decided to close the restaurant, they started receiving messages from people who heard about it from Facebook.

'Somebody put it on Facebook, and it was just like wildfire,” Lea said.

The last week has been very emotional for the Bradleys as they balance serving their customers while also trying to enjoy the last few days of the restaurant. Lea said many customers have shared their gratitude with her. Even a former employee swung by to thank them for all they've done over the years.

'In a way, I don't want to close,” Jerry said. 'I'm getting to the age that I can't do it, and I don't want Lea to do it. She does enough the way it is.”

After Jerry's Restaurant closes, Lea said they are looking forward to spending more time with their great-granddaughter.

'Our family has been overwhelmed this past week with the outpouring of love and emotional support from the community. God has blessed us and our family abundantly and we are very grateful,” Lea said.