Whether fun seekers are looking to drink cocktails inside the ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s-themed bar, choose between 150 martinis during a classy night out, or try to beat Pac-Man, managing partner Aaron Schurman thinks the combination of three new bars nearby at the Iowa City Pedestrian Mall can offer the “perfect night out.” Paramount Barco, […]
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Whether fun seekers are looking to drink cocktails inside the ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s-themed bar, choose between 150 martinis during a classy night out, or try to beat Pac-Man, managing partner Aaron Schurman thinks the combination of three new bars nearby at the Iowa City Pedestrian Mall can offer the “perfect night out.”
Paramount Barco, a food and beverage consulting company, based in Cedar Falls, has already brought Roxxy to downtown Iowa City at 127 E. College St. and is preparing to welcome The Stuffed Olive and Double Tap next door in late May and the beginning of June, respectively. The restaurants will be led by co-partners Jeff Hassman, Marty Van Zee, Josh Wilson and Mr. Schurman – all of which have a history of working together as business partners in the bar and restaurant field.
Roxxy
Open since November 2021 at the home of the former Martini’s Bar, Roxxy tries to capture the “weird time” of the decades when unique individuality was appreciated.
“If you walk through the environment, everything has meaning no matter where you look,” he explained. “It’s like having cocktails in a museum, but everything has purpose behind it and lets us get a little bit weird.”
Roxxy offers burgers, street tacos, chicken fingers and cheese balls among its food options. Mr. Schurman says Iowa City has embraced the venue so far.
The Stuffed Olive
If in the mood for a more romantic setting, The Stuffed Olive will boast its shareable plates such as tapas, charcuterie, stuffed mushrooms, fresh tuna and a wide selection of martinis.
It will also be home, to Mr. Schurman’s knowledge, to Iowa’s first 100% ventless kitchen that is more environmentally friendly and completely electric.
“I think Roxxy is more of a Chicago vibe while The Stuffed Olive is more of a New York City vibe,” said Paramount Barco CEO Darin Beck. All three venues are approximately 3,000 to 3,500 square feet and will hold around 100 to 150 people, depending on the bar.
Double Tap
In 1997, Mr. Schurman founded a videogame company called SciPlay, which is publicly traded on the NASDAQ. A leading developer and publisher of mobile, free-to-play casino games, the company operates more than 700 games.
He and his co-partners will spread their love of gaming again at Double Tap, a self-described beercade looking for a more relaxed, Midwestern experience for people aged 21 and older (except on Sundays where there is no age limit).
“My favorite quote ever is one from Plato: ‘You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation,’ and we just believe that so much,” he said. “We love playing games, seeing the competitive side of people come out and the silliness and smack talk.”
Double Tap will have more than 50 coin-operated authentic games like Centipede, Joust, and Galaga, which were found at auctions and refurbished. In addition, he said the bar will have a “clubby” atmosphere with a thin crust pizza on the menu.
