Blindt making Brad's Pad a new pad

DREAMING PIZZA

I’ve been thinking about this. I’ve had dreams about this and it was just like we’d been talking about how unhappy I was and we agreed to go talk to Brad.”

Rick Blindt, new owner Brad's Pad in West Point

WEST POINT – A decades long, legacy business in West Point has reopened under new ownership.
Brad’s Pad, an iconic pizza joint located on the east side of the small north Lee County town has fed people for more than four decades, has been running under the management of Rick Blindt and Amanda Garr since May.
And anyone going by the place in the past several weeks on Monday or Tuesday see the investment the duo is placing in keeping the tradition alive.
Blindt is a veteran with a work history that includes environmental administration and emergency services. He was with the Fort Madison Fire Department for years before moving to the Iowa City area, and then back to West Point.
Now Blindt is digging in, and out of, more than 40 years of food service at the restaurant at 208 8th Street in West Point.
He said on a recent trip south he was having dinner on a vacation in Texas in February and he brought the idea up.
“I’ve been thinking about this. I’ve had dreams about this and it was just like we’d been talking about how unhappy I was and we agreed to go talk to Brad,” Blindt said.
A revamped menu holds to the patron favorites, including Bonny’s Special, which is pizza created after former owner Brad Stuekerjuergen’s wife Bonny featuring beef, sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, onions, green olives, and a choice of banana or jalapeno peppers. The crunchy and spicy Taco Pizza has also been kept on the menu and the West Point special featuring Canadian Bacon, sausage, and jalapenos.
Blindt said crusts are still homemade with a few personal touches like some corn meal to add a little crunch and little less docking to allow the crust to rise a bit for a flakier bite.
Subs will also still be part of the menu featuring half and whole sandwiches with more than 10 to choose from.
Salads, regular sandwiches like burgers and tenderloins, appetizers including chicken tenders, breadstix and cheesy bread, and seasoned fries get you started. And then, as always, finish off with a cold dish of ice cream.
Blindt and the staff have provided a fresh painted look to the facility with new contemporary lighting. They’ve provided additional games at no cost in the back room where kids can play bags, or foosball, Ms Pac-Man, and other games while the folks talk over dinner and take in a football game.
There are also board and card games available so people can hunker down for an easy afternoon of good food and family time.
The iconic bar that ran the length of the service area and kitchen is being taken down to the studs and rebuilt. Blindt spends Monday and Tuesday working on that and other things including diligence on making the restaurant profitable. And that starts with awareness.
“We just want people to know we’re still here,” he said. “We’re creating a family atmosphere where kids can come in and play and the games are free. Have some pizza or subs and spend some time with us. Watch the game, play cards, and have some good food.”
There’s currently one 75” television on the east wall where a TV has always been, but Blindt said he wants to add a few more to provide some options on game days and nights.
“I’ve pretty well got the menu worked out and now we’re going to do some different things to make things more efficient,” he said.
“When the bar is finished I want to move the roller up front where people can watch us do that. It also will save us time getting the pizza’s built and into the oven. There was a bottle neck before. When we can, we’re going to roll those out as we get the order. Our roller is a little faster and we get a more consistent dough.”
He said when volume is high, he doesn’t want customers to have to wait too long so they may have some staged on high demand to keep customers happy, but for the most part, they will be hand rolling dough fresh to order.
The restaurant is closed on Monday and Tuesday and is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and then reopens from 4-8:30 p.m. for dinner Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday they stay open until 9:30. Saturday’s hours are 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday is 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.  They offer dine-in, carry-out, and delivery within four miles of the restaurant. They will also offer online ordering in the near future. Their Facebook page is located at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575030783796&sk=photos.