The CONEction: Connecting Northeast Iowa with local food

CRESCO - The CONEction, Cresco’s newest downtown eating establishment, began as an ice cream parlor but certainly doesn’t end there.

In fact, while customers may stop by for a variety of mouth-watering flavors of creamy, hard-serve ice cream, they can also enjoy breakfast served all day, deli sandwiches, supper menu items, Greek yogurt and organic produce available for purchase, such as potatoes and onions.

For co-owners Joe and Bailey Guyer, The CONEction is an ever-evolving entity with the mission of bringing together local and regional agriculture with customers.

It’s a mission that comes naturally to Joe Guyer, who has a career background in dairy farming.

“I’m originally from the West Union area, and Bailey is from the Decorah area. I have dairy farmed all of my life, so ice cream is a big thing for me. I sold my dairy herd and ended up in the Cresco area, managing a dairy herd in Minnesota. We moved here and I had assumed every town in a dairy state like Iowa had hard-serve ice cream. Cresco didn’t but they do now.”

Guyer said The CONEction is much more than an ice cream shop. 

“It’s really a hybrid shop. Since I am in agriculture, I like fresh food and we wanted good produce. We wanted to work with as many local people as we can.”

To that end, The CONEction features free-range, non-GMO, all-natural eggs, bacon and pork loins from Polashek’s Locker Service in Protivin; butter and cheese from WW Homestead Dairy in Waukon and Greek yogurt from Country View Dairy in Hawkeye. Additional produce comes from Patchwork Green Farm of Decorah and Mast Produce;  jams, salsas, and pickles from Kymar Acres in Waukon, Spring Grove Pop from Spring Grove, Minn., and buns from Dough & Joe Bakery in Cresco.

Guyer adds, “We do specialty ice cream sundaes using Dough & Joe’s doughnuts. We have a ‘Long John Split.’”

For customers searching for an evening meal, a recent supper menu included: grilled butterfly pork chop, baked local organic potatoes, and a warm dinner roll.

In addition to focusing on local and regional food, Joe and Bailey Guyer say they wanted The CONEction to have a ‘rootsy’ and nostalgic feel in terms of its decor.

“Our idea was to have an older look,” Bailey Guyer said.

In a previous incarnation, the building housed Pinky’s Cafe. The Guyers decided to use the same counter and stool seating from the cafe for The CONEction.

“We get a lot of customers who remember eating at Pinky’s Cafe, so this way, an institution they remember from Cresco is still here,” Joe Guyer said.

He continued, “I have a carpentry background and did all of the work. We used reclaimed wood on the barn wall and almost everything here we bought locally, including pictures and decorations from The County Store.”

Guyer said he has heard encouraging feedback from customers since The CONEction opened this past June.

“The feedback I have heard has been positive,” he said. “We want The CONEction to be a place people will see as a ‘local hangout’. Our customer base ranges from kids to older people. Younger people like to come here and have ice cream.”

Guyer said that lately, their deli sandwiches featuring meat from Polashek’s Locker Service have been popular with customers. As the menu changes constantly, he advises customers to visit The CONEction’s Facebook page @theconection19.

The CONEction is located at 225 North Elm Street, between The County Store and Cuautla Jalisco Mexican Restaurant.

Hours are Monday (closed). Tuesday-Saturday: 6 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday: 1-9 p.m. The CONEction’s phone number is 563-547-1052.