Jimmy Jack’s downtown location closed though it is still under lease
Jimmy Jack’s Rib Shack suddenly closed their downtown location, despite still being under lease with Old Capitol Mall.
Jimmy Jacks Rib Shack is adding a new location to downtown Iowa City next to Buffalo Wild Wings located on S. Clinton St. Jimmy Jacks is also located on Lower Muscatine Road in Iowa City near the Sycamore Mall. (The Daily Iowan/ Alex Kroeze)
September 25, 2018
Iowa City barbecue chain Jimmy Jack’s Rib Shack closed its location in the Old Capitol Town Center for the last time on Sept. 14.
In an email to The Daily Iowan, Jimmy Jack’s co-owner James Adrian blamed weak sales for the closing.
“We decided to close the downtown Jimmy Jack’s because we didn’t reach our sales goals,” he said in the email. “Our Monday through Friday lunch sales were strong. However, our evening and weekend sales were a little weak.”
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Jimmy Jack’s was in the mall for nearly two years, and it has been in the Iowa City area for 10. The other two locations in Iowa City and North Liberty are operating normally. Information regarding the downtown location has been removed from the chain’s website. There is
no mention of the closing on the website or the establishment’s various social media.
Adrian’s email to the DI, as well as signs posted at the mall location, indicate that the restaurant is gone for good. According to a representative of the Old Capitol Town Center office, Jennifer Ross, Jimmy Jack’s is still under lease.
“We don’t know what their plans are,” Ross said. “They’re still under lease with us for a very long time.”
Adrian was consistent in saying goodbye to the mall location.
“We want to thank our guests who frequented the downtown location and hope to see them at our East Side Iowa City Jimmy Jack’s or our new North Liberty Jimmy Jack’s,” he said in his email. “We also want to thank our fantastic downtown staff for their hard work. Much of the downtown staff transferred to our other locations.”
