BY CHERYL WELLS
Welcome Chix to LeMars!
We are super excited to share what we have done with an old building in downtown Le Mars on Central Avenue, our downtown district that is becoming an entertainment district. The building had previously been Zestos and years ago, Micks Men’s Wear. We purchased the building from the Zestos board in fall of 2022. Mike and I began to meet with Monte and Tracy Brent about a year ago about the possibility of them opening a restaurant downtown and we quickly agreed that they had a great idea!
I could tell that Tracy had a real passion for the idea as well as she is already a successful business owner. Tracy owns Drop Zone Family Fun Center in Sioux City at 3840 Stadium Dr. Make sure to check that out also. It’s one thing when someone has a dream to start a small business, but quite another to have experience and be successful. She also operates a food truck that has been a real hit in the region since June 2021, so she has food service experience also. Every time the Chix food trailer has been at our community events the line was super long, and it has been the talk of the community.
I have got to know Tracy over the last year, and I love her story of how the food truck came to be. During Covid Drop Zone closed of course, and Tracy began to think and pray about what else she could do. She and Monte purchased the trailer and built it out to accommodate her idea of chicken and waffles, which is a popular thing in other parts of the country. It has been a great choice for them and for our community. It should be a draw for the tri-state area. They will continue to operate the food trailer for booked events. I’m thinking about an event that they can do the food for!
The building that we fully renovated inside and out has all new windows and beautiful stone and brick with a steel pergola on the street scape. The inside including the main floor and lower level is all new construction with unique custom seating and chicken coop décor. There is an all-new commercial kitchen, and the lower level will be used for special events and parties of any kind. There is an arcade with a redemption center for all ages and again this is something new for Le Mars and our region even.
Chix opened on June 4, and they are very excited about serving during Ice Cream Days in mid-June. They will have a very unique menu and for dessert you can get cereal shakes. I think this will be a big hit for kids and kids at heart! Tracy shared that she is creating an experience for people, and I believe that it will be. Coming soon to her menu will be a Sunday brunch from 10-2 PM, which will be so wonderful for Le Mars to have another Sunday option.
I talk about leadership a lot and I see great leadership skills in Tracy and Monte. The first thing being the passion they have and that they have the drive to do what they do well. Also, the way that they respect one another and those around them. They have a love for community and for serving, even if it costs them a lot personally. Which to do something like this well, it will cost in many ways. So, I want to say thank you to them! Thanks for investing and for being creative. Thanks for being brave and taking a big step. Thanks for the partnership and for the love. It does speak love and it means a lot to people to be in hospitality.
Much Yummy
It’s exciting to have another restaurant in downtown Le Mars right across the street from where Chix just opened. Years ago, there was a Chinese buffet in this same building, and it closed and has been empty for about 4-5 years. Much Yummy has been open for a couple months and I’m hearing good things about it. I wanted to share this and you can click here to check out their menu. It is a place in Le Mars where you can get sushi! So that was a real need and it’s fun to see these things happen in our community. Please come and check it out sometime soon, and while you are in town make a few other stops at some of our other businesses. We have many boutique shops and others coming. Come and see us during Ice Cream days too! June 12 is the car show and other fun things going on and June 14 and 15 there are a whole lot of things going on in downtown Le Mars!
