Midwest Restaurants: Breitbach’s dining

Family-owned and operated since 1862, Iowa’s oldest restaurant is in preparations to be passed on to the next generation.

Along the Great River Road in the tiny town of Balltown, Iowa, is the state of Iowa’s oldest bar and restaurant—Breitbach’s Country Dining. Currently owned by Mike Breitbach, the restaurant has been in the family for six generations. Known for its cozy atmosphere and homestyle country food, the Breitbach’s Country Dining is a historic must-visit for locals and guests alike.

“We’re a down-home kind of place,” Mike says “It’s not like going to a normal restaurant. It’s like coming home to Grandma’s house.”

The family-owned and operated business started in 1862 when Mike’s great-great-grandfather, Jacob Breitbach, purchased the restaurant. Mike grew up working at the restaurant, starting at seven-years-old. For 64 years, Mike has been a part of Breitbach’s through all of its ups and downs.

Though Breitbach’s has stood the test of time, running any small business comes with challenges. Mike has seen the restaurant burn to flames and get rebuilt again… and again. The first fire, caused by a gas explosion, happened in December 2007. Luckily, with the support of the Balltown community, the Breitbachs were able to reconstruct and reopen six months later. Then, in October of 2008, the building burned to the ground again. This time, investigators were unable to identify the cause of the fire. The Breitbach family didn’t know what to do next. 

To guide himself through the chaos, Mike visited the cemetery where four generations laid before him—one being his father who ran the restaurant for years.

“I walked up to the cemetery, I think around Christmas, and my wife goes, ‘What are you doing in the cemetery?’ and I said, ‘Well, I’m making a decision,’” Mike says.

After deliberation and deep thought, Mike decided that if the family business could bounce back after one fire, it could bounce back after a second. Their third building was built and reopened in August 2009. 

Since then, Breitbach’s doors have stayed open—flame-free. Mike runs the restaurant alongside his wife and a staff of part-time and full-time family employees. One of the restaurant managers Ben Hefel has worked at Breitbach’s for 14 years.

“[The Breitbach family] makes a fun environment for myself, as a full-time employee, down the line all the way to the dishwasher,” Hefel says. “As much as we can, we create a family within the business.” 

But if we’ve learned anything from Scotty’s and the Golden Lamb, it’s that the restaurant business is tough, especially in a small, rural town. In fact, there’s been quite the debate around the future of rural populations, and Mike knows it. 

“You’re talking about rural Iowa—rural America,” Mike says. “It’s not dying, but it’s not like it used to be. Since I’ve been a kid, half [of] the farms are gone. Buildings are gone. Everything.” 

The other task at hand for Mike is preparing to pass the family business on to the next generation. Mike knows that running the restaurant is a 24/7 job—one that is difficult to leave. Finding someone to make a lifelong commitment to Breitbach’s is not going to be easy.

“We hope to just keep serving our customers,” Hefel says. “Keeping the business in the family—that’s very important, not just to the family, but to Balltown as well.” 

With two family members currently working full-time at Breitbach’s, the restaurant will hopefully be passed on to familiar hands. With the same staying power and resilience that has kept the doors open since 1862, Breitbach’s Country Dining has the ability to stick around for many years to come. 

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