Hunter
01/09/23
The ongoing saga of the iconic Hamburg Inn #2 has a new twist.
KCRG TV reports that owner Michael Lee has closed the restaurant temporarily, with a projected reopening date of February 1.
In a statement issued by Lee’s lawyer, the decision was made due to maintenance issues that had been discovered, and that the restaurant is currently closed for what was called “physical and spiritual repairs.”
The management team, who announced that the Inn was closing permanently on December 30th, has reportedly been replaced. Lee stated he was surprised to learn about the rumored closure.
Sunday’s statement also clarified misinformation about employee paychecks at the end of the year. Lee said the confusion arose due to paper checks being issued instead of employees having their checks direct deposited.
The Baer Law Firm’s statement said Lee’s initial plans to expand Hamburg Inn to multiple locations including Asia when he purchased the business in 2016 have been scrapped. However, Lee is still looking to expand locally, with an additional Iowa City location and possibly a Cedar Rapids location. Hamburg Inn East, located across from Regina High School, closed in 2020, and a Cedar Rapids location also has closed.