Tiney’s Steakhouse aims for October opening
/A dream fulfilled
Tiney’s Steakhouse will open in October. It takes over the space formerly occupied by Homer’s Bar & Grill in Vail. Photo by Dan Mundt
Last Friday was Rick Krueger’s last day as assistant chef at Reed Place in Denison.
He is now spending all his time remodeling the former Homer’s Bar & Grill building in Vail to fulfill a lifelong dream.
"My mom and dad always either had a bar, a restaurant or a bar and grill, so it’s been in my blood my whole life,” Rick said. “I always wanted to open my own brick and mortar place.”
His new restaurant will be called “Tiney’s Steakhouse.”
“Tiney” is a nickname Rick was given when he worked at Farmland; a smaller coworker had called him tiny (along with another colorful term).
“I changed it to Tiney because Tiny was taken for personalized plates,” he said.
Rick has been working toward becoming a chef for two decades, but he never went to culinary school.
“I was going to,” he said. “I just never had time.”
Rick spent two years working at Reed Place. Before that, he was a chef at Hillside Grill in Denison, Lost Wages in Buck Grove and the Ickey Nickel Bar & Grill in Sioux City.
In his younger days, he was a cook and bartender for his parents, Sonja and DeWayne Krueger, for many years.
His parents owned DewSonies (formerly JC’s Prime Rib) and later purchased Raceway Food & Spirits, both in Dow City.
“I’ve been cooking for over 20 years,” Rick said.
When he heard that Homer’s was closing earlier this summer, he saw an opportunity.
Rick talked to building-owner Jace Hawley, secured a lease and in the second week of August launched a project to remodel the interior.
He is putting down new carpet and new flooring.
The bathrooms are being revised with an eye on ADA requirements; both will be gender neutral and one will be outfitted to be handicap-accessible.
Rick is designing a paint scheme that will be a mix of the styles he remembers from when his mother worked at Jo Mart Steakhouse and the Red Lantern in Denison and from DewSonies.
He is reworking the bar and has added a mural of a farm scene to one wall.
Rick Krueger, family and friends are doing major remodeling of the space prior to the opening of Tiney’s Steakhouse in Vail. Photo by Dan Mundt
A new farm mural, complete with a crop duster, has been added to one of the walls. Photo by Dan Mundt
Tiney’s will feature a full salad bar when it opens.
Rick said has had plenty of help with the project from family and friends.
Painting will be finished in the next week, then the plumber and electricians will complete their work and then the flooring will be completed.
“Then we’ll start moving in equipment and it will be a snowball effect from there,” Rick said.
He had initially aimed for an October 1 opening, but decided to move it back to October 12.
“You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression,” Rick said. “I want to make sure all my stuff is on point and ready.”
Rick and his son, Ricky, will be the chefs when Tiney’s opens; Patty Rodriguez, who worked at Hillside with Rick, will be a part-time cook.
“We’ll have a taste-testing with family and employees so they know what they’re serving and can tell people what it tastes like,” he said.
Rick plans a reservations-only soft opening for the steakhouse.
“We’ll take 20 people per hour from 5 to 10 p.m.” he said. “That way, everybody gets served right.”
Call 712-677-2225 to make reservations.
Rick said he is excited to finish preparations and open Tiney’s.
“It’s been a good trip, but I’m getting anxious,” he said. “It’s been my dream for at least 20 years, and now here we are.”
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