Proof102 opens in Fairfield

FAIRFIELD — A new bar and restaurant has opened on North Second Street in Fairfield.

Proof102 is owned by Bryan and Marte Knapp, who opened the cocktail bar on Aug. 8 in the building previously occupied by Big Schwilly’s Chicken Dillys, and before that, Cider House. The name of the business is a nod to its address, 102 N. Second St., and “proof” in this context refers to the amount of alcohol in a drink.

Bryan manages the restaurant while his wife, a Fairfield native, is a full-time nurse. Bryan was born and raised in Burlington, graduating from Burlington High School in 2003.

He has worked in the restaurant business since the age of 14 when he began working at Pizza Hut. For a few years, he managed the Burlington restaurant Martini’s Grille, then with a business partner opened Krafted Bar and Bistro in Burlington.

Knapp said his business partner, Jared Kaulukukui, took him and his wife to Hawaii a few years ago, and the couple loved it. This trip inspired Bryan to create the Hawaiian margarita that he now serves at Proof102. The drink is made from a lilikoi puree with a dried plum powder on the ring of the cup. Bryan said it’s been one of the restaurant’s top sellers since the business opened.

Bryan said he’s lived in Fairfield the past four years and had been commuting to his restaurant in Burlington. After Big Schwilly’s Chicken Dillys closed last year, its building went up for sale. Bryan had contemplated buying the building a few years before after Cider House moved out, but at the time he was content with his restaurant in Burlington. But since then, he and his wife had a daughter, and Bryan wanted to spend more time with his family. When it was put on the market again, Bryan pounced on it.

The sale was completed earlier this year. Bryan said he hasn’t had to make many changes to the bar or dining room since the previous owners left it in good shape. However, he has done extensive remodeling in the kitchen, where he’s installed new drywall and redid the floors.

Bryan said he realizes now is a tough time to open a restaurant with the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and how it will affect business. He said last year was tough for everyone in the restaurant industry, and it required owners to adapt and to try new things.

“At Krafted Bar and Bistro, we had a loyal following who supported us during the pandemic,” Bryan said. “We feel we can create that same following here in Fairfield.”

Bryan said he couldn’t pass another chance to buy a restaurant in Fairfield. Though he knew the investment was a risk, he lives by the motto “nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

“I knew I would forever regret it if I didn’t at least try,” he said.

Proof102 can seat as many as 70 people in its dining room and on its patio, though Bryan said he’s going to limit seating to closer to 50 people for now. He said he will slowly add more seats once he’s confident that they can all be served in a reasonable amount of time.

The restaurant’s menu will rotate, and its main courses will be burgers (including a veggie burger), tenderloins and fish tacos. It offers starters, salads, sides such as watermelon with feta cheese and truffle fries, and root beer floats. The bar serves nine cocktails and has beer and wine. Bryan said his beer selection will focus on Iowa breweries, and that he plans to offer ciders from local producers such as Jefferson County Ciderworks and Fishback & Stephenson Cider House.