Several Southeast Iowa restaurants close

FAIRFIELD — A number of restaurants in Southeast Iowa have closed or are going through a transition lately.

In Mt. Pleasant, Walt’s Taproom and Butch’s River Rock Café announced earlier this year they were closing their doors. In Fairfield, residents said goodbye to Play and Big Schwilly’s Chicken Dillys last year, and just this month will bid adieu to Amore Mio and Ila.

The owner of Ila, Sharon Stinogel, said she will still run a business from her property on North Main Street, but it will become a billiard hall instead of a restaurant. The new name will be Mad Hatter Billiards, which she hopes to open in August after a complete renovation of the building including a new floor and a restoration of the bar that was taken out years ago under previous ownership.

“All of our renovations are being sourced locally,” Stinogel said. “Even our logo was designed by a local artist.”

Stinogel is closing Ila after an 8½-year run. The restaurant’s last day of operations will be Sunday, June 20. Stinogel said she will continue to serve some food after the renovation, though she’s not sure what it will be yet.

She said the decision to close the restaurant comes after four years of struggling to maintain staffing levels.

“We’re changing it partly because of the staffing, and partly because we like to play pool and think it will be more fun,” Stinogel said. “Staffing has been really hard in Fairfield for a long time, and I can’t blame anything on the pandemic or unemployment compensation.”

Stinogel said she is purchasing five pool tables for the new venture and hopes it will become the premier pool hall in all of Southeast Iowa.

“I think this will bring people to town and be good for the economy of Fairfield,” she said.

Stinogel’s wife, Lisa Carr, owns the bar and restaurant Play on North Court Street in Fairfield. Stinogel said Carr had to close the business when the pandemic hit last year, and was never able to reopen. The building is now for sale.

“When we were allowed to open up again, the restrictions we were under made it impossible to run a bar because we had limited capacity, social distancing and masking,” Stinogel said. “You had to be seated while you were in there consuming anything.”