By Gage Miskimen
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A newcomer is trying to establish deep enough roots to become a unique and popular establishment in the Iowa City restaurant and bar jungle.

Hudson’s, soon to open, is located at 482 Highway 1 W. But, the opening date is still up in the air.

General manager Cameron Wheatley said he wants to introduce a great neighborhood restaurant and bar to the southwest side of Iowa City. He said there would be no frozen foods at Hudson’s.

“Everything will be made from scratch and in house,” he said.

Those involved with the opening are still working out the details of the menu, but Wheatley said they would serve food such as burgers, sandwiches, salad, and soups. He said that even though it’s a business, they still want to have fun as well.

“We like to think of our menu as creative fat-guy food,” he said.

The building has an industrial look and the walls have a sleek, warm wood paneling. It will feature spacious booths for dining and also offer table seating as well.

“All of the steel work was custom-made by Hawkeye Welding, including the bar and the lamps,” Wheatley said.

Ryan O’Leary, building manager and real estate agent, said the dream of the building owner’s father was always to have a restaurant in the venue. He said Hudson’s seems like a good fit for the area.

“The owner of the building wanted a higher quality tenant, so we decided to go in that direction,” O’Leary said.

Cody Allen, bar manager at Hudson’s, said things have been moving smoothly and fairly quickly, and he’s excited to see it open.

“New things are going up,” Allen said. “We are fairly close to being open.”

Hudson’s hopes to open the bar this weekend for drinks. Wheatley said the restaurant’s Facebook page would have news this weekend along with the official opening date later in the week.

Hudson’s will have a wide variety of beverages and beers on a wall of 40 beer taps to an assortment of whiskeys, bourbons, and gin.

“Our drink menu is Prohibition-inspired and is fairly classic,” Allen said. “We will have a lot of high-end scotches. We’re going for a whiskey bar, but obviously, we have everything else, too.”

On top of the diverse bar offering a wide variety of beverages, Wheatley said Hudson’s will also feature an outdoor patio for customers to enjoy their meals and drinks during the warmer months of the year.

He said it’s been an exciting and interesting experience to build something from the start and wants Hudson’s to have a great, easy-going atmosphere that will keep customers coming back for more.

“We are trying to bring something unique to Iowa City,” he said.