Businesses and restaurants have been booming all over the Quad Cities in the last couple of years. Some of these successful businesses have been developed by Mark Roemer and his business partners.
His success in developing businesses can be seen in his rapid development in the Quad Cities and the expansion of his development in Waukee. Currently he has developed three business franchises: Five Cities Brewery, Central Standard, and Dunn Brothers Coffee.
How did this PV parent become successful enough to open this many businesses? “It’s all about the approach of it. You need to have a unique idea and something that will bring something new and exciting to the area,” Roemer states.
However, his success hasn’t been 100%. A couple of years ago he opened a pizza place called Crust, wanting to bring something new to the pizza in this community.
Unfortunately COVID-19 hit and the world entered a pandemic, shutting everything down. The impact of COVID-19 hit Roemer hard. ”The downturn in business and issues with our lease have become too cumbersome to maintain,” Roemer shared. Not only was COVID an issue in the business staying open, but there were also issues with the lease and it got to the point where they had to close”.
This didn’t stop Roemer though. He continued to open many other businesses that have been very successful and has plans to open a few more around the area. Roemer wants to bring new, unique businesses to the Quad Cities and surrounding areas.
In today’s society, starting up a business can be challenging and unpredictable. Roemer’s business partner Brian Olsen, the former chef at Crust, now partners with him at Central Standard to make the best food possible.
Olsen came up with the idea of Five Cities Brewing and brought the idea to Roemer to make it happen. Regarding the process, Olsen said,”I wanted to do my own thing,” when coming up with the idea of the brewery. He didn’t want it to be like every other brewery around here and even wants to start one in places near the QC.
All of Roemer’s businesses are successful because of the approach he took when formulating his ideas and plans. His desire to step outside of the box and bring something new to the area is what allows him to be as accomplished as he is.
