Another Classic Iowa City Bar is Making a Comeback

Just a few weeks after the grand opening of the new Fieldhouse Bar & Grill in Iowa City, another iconic Iowa City bar is set to make its return to the Ped Mall. Five years after its closure, The Union will be revived at a brand new location!

The Original Union Bar

According to an article from the Daily Iowan, The Union Bar first opened at 121 E College St in Iowa City back in 1993. For 27 years, the popular party spot was known for its "live music, birthday pitchers, and frenzied atmosphere," but in the spring of 2020, it was announced that the bar was permanently closed. Although many believed it was the pandemic that forced The Union to shut its doors, the closure was actually already planned. The pandemic only sped up the process.

Today, the building that once housed The Union is home to two very different businesses. The Stuffed Olive and Double Tap both opened in 2022, with owner Darin Beck telling the Daily Iowan at the time:

"It's definitely a changing of the eras. People who remember the Union are going to be, I think, pleasantly surprised at how radically different it is. They won’t even recognize it at all.”

The Stuffed Olive is a popular martini bar that has an additional Iowa location in Cedar Falls, and Double Tap, which also has a Cedar Falls location, is an arcade bar and restaurant.

The New Union Bar

The news of the new Union was shared on social media by Hazzard County Iowa City and Fieldhouse Bar & Grill, two bars that recently opened in Iowa City's Ped Mall. Hazzard County Iowa City, a sister bar to the one in Downtown Cedar Rapids, opened its doors in August at the beginning of the new school year in the former Fieldhouse location at 118 S Dubuque Street. Then, at the beginning of November, Fieldhouse Bar & Grill officially opened at their new address, 138 S Clinton Street. The announcement from the Fieldhouse Facebook page reads:

"We're bringing Back the Union Bar & Grill to Iowa City!!! Coming Soon!!!"

The Union Bar & Grill's address is listed as 118 S Clinton Street, which is right next door to Fieldhouse. There is no opening date or additional details about the bar at this time, but there is now an official Facebook page for the business, which you can follow HERE for the latest updates.