It’s no secret the downtown area of Dubuque has undergone an impressive revitalization over the past decade. Taking advantage of the beautiful landscape of the Mississippi River and the bluffs that surround it, the historic buildings lining downtown Dubuque are being restored to their former glory and repurposed in ways that can be enjoyed by both visitors and natives alike. New businesses have expanded the opportunities for shopping, dining, and socializing, making the streets of downtown come alive once again.
Backpocket Taproom has influenced this revitalization and embraced the growing pains it has created with excitement. When Jake Simmons and his wife Katy Steffen started this business eight years ago, they never could have imagined the domino effect it would create for both them and the community. After expanding Backpocket multiple times over the past eight years to add live entertainment, reception areas, and bowling, they began to use the tiny kitchen at the brewery to serve food.
This service took off and began to create a volume too large for the small kitchen to handle. Simultaneously Gino’s Pizza located next door closed its doors. As the saying goes, one misfortune is another’s fortune, and the two used the need for a larger kitchen and the opportunity to expand to create the new concept of Driftless Pizza.
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