The pizzeria and taproom “Old Chicago”, located on 1610 S Kellogg Ave in Ames, announced on Oct. 22 that their last day serving the public would be Thursday.
This was announced on their Facebook on Oct. 22. The restaurant made a Facebook post saying “CHEERS to YEARS of PIZZA and BEERS!” and that they are very thankful for all the love and support over the years.
One of the things the restaurant was known for was their World Beer Tours. This activity included signing up for “OC Rewards” for the pizza place and earning credits every time customers try a new type of beer at the restaurant. There were 110 different kinds of beers for customers to try from around the world, and there were different prizes you could win by accumulating a certain amount of credits. Some prizes included playing cards, a bottle opener and even a hoodie.
The restaurant also had what they called “mini tours” which were beer tours specific to that time of year. Customers were encouraged to participate in mini tours where the company had a smaller, themed beer menu and if the participants tried a certain amount of beers on the menu in a certain amount of time, they would receive a prize.
The last mini tour that the Ames location will be participating in is the Halloween tour. The Halloween tour menu includes six different craft beers and two different cocktails. If participants are able to drink 12 items total, they will be rewarded with a glow-in-the-dark, long-sleeved Halloween shirt from the company. This challenge has been going on since Oct. 2 and ended Thursday, the restaurant’s last day.
“Old Chicago” declined to comment on their closure over the phone in a call with the Daily.
In the company’s Facebook post about closing, they stated that they wanted to thank everyone “for the love and support over the years” and that VIP mug holders should stop by to get their “hard earned mugs” before they close.
“Old Chicago” will be remembered in Ames for its service and beer tours that lasted about 40 years, with over 400,000 tours completed.
