A New Eastern Iowa Restaurant Opens This Week in an Old Infirmary

Get ready for a new place to eat in the city of Vinton! According to a new article from the Cedar Rapids Gazette, Old Hospital Pub is set to open this week inside of a historic Eastern Iowa building.

Old Hospital Pub, located at 916 West 9th Street in Vinton, is on the campus of what was once the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School. It's inside the school's former infirmary, which you can probably guess by the restaurant's name. Wikipedia says that the school originally opened as the Iowa College for the Blind back in 1852, but after being sold in 2020, the campus is undergoing a total transformation.

The article from the Gazette says that the former infirmary that now houses the restaurant was built way back in 1905, which makes it pretty a unique space. The article reads:

"There’s a custom wood and marble bar and a two-sided fireplace visible from the main dining area as well as a room for private parties. There’s seating for about 70 people indoors with space for 40 more on a patio that includes a fire pit and TV screens."

Old Hospital Pub is owned by B.J. and Jim Hobart, who also own Bari Italian here in Cedar Rapids. The restaurant's Facebook description says:

"Serving traditional favorites and new style BBQ and sides. Enjoy with a craft beer or custom cocktail. Located in the historic Vinton braille school grounds, we created a modern casual environment."

It appears that the owners has hoped to open the restaurant earlier this month, but, unfortunately, COVID got in the way. A comment on the Facebook page says that various staff members tested positive, which left them without enough people to run the restaurant effectively. Things are looking up, though! Old Hospital Pub is set to open this Wednesday, October 27th.

For more information on Old Hospital Pub and other changes coming to the former campus Vinton, check out the article from the Gazette HERE.