Waterloo Courier
Thursday, September 1, 2005
	       Former Toad's manager buys Mainly Lou's

By BRANDON COUTRE, Courier Staff Writer

CEDAR FALLS -- A familiar face in the downtown bar and restaurant
scene now has a place of his own after purchasing the Mainly Lou's
building on Main Street.

Mark Showalter, a former Mainly Lou's worker and most recently a bar
manager at Toad's, bought the building in July. A gutting of the place
will render a new, brighter establishment to be called "The Landmark."

It's a venture he's entering with two partners: his brother, Randy
Showalter, and friend Brian Knecht, both of whom he said also have
experience in the Cedar Falls entertainment scene.

Still, being their own bosses will be new.

"This is the first time for all of us involved. A couple of people
approached me, and I said 'Let's give it a shot'," Mark Showalter
said.

An exact theme for the place is yet to be set, but the building will
remain in two halves, one for a restaurant and the other for a bar. He
couldn't provide an opening date, but estimated it will take at least
a few months before it opens.

"I can't tell you much more right now other than we are going to be a
bar and restaurant," he said. "We have a lot of remodeling to do. We
did want to change the atmosphere and make it brighter."

Low ceilings are being gutted to open the place up with 14-foot
ceilings, and a new facade with large windows will be constructed on
the front, he said.

While the interior will be changing, Mark Showalter said he wants to
draw off the same diverse customer base that Mainly Lou's brought in.

"I'd love to keep the diversity that Mainly Lou's used to get. You had
everyone from your college student to your 80-year-old grandmother
having lunch," he said.

Mainly Lou's closed abruptly in June after being open for 12
years. Owner Linda Miller said she shut the place down because of
financial problems, which she attributed to a post 9-11 economic
slowdown, poor business last year during downtown road construction
and increased competition.

---------------------------

Monday, February 16, 2004
Waterloo Courier
			   Newest Additions

2003

SHOWALTER, Amanda "Amy" and DAVIDSON, Bill, of Waterloo, girl, Kamery
Isabel, born Dec. 2.