Meet Us on Main Street: Teri Hazelwood
West Branch's historic Main Street is a charming and quaint business district located just off I-80 at exit 254 (just 6 miles from Iowa City). It's home to unique small businesses and boasts an abundance of Iowa history. There's plenty to eat, shop & explore in West Branch but what makes it extra special is the people you'll meet here.
West Branch Community Development Group is pleased to highlight our local businesses with the Meet Us on Main Street series featuring Q&A's with business owners that make our Main Street so special. Today, it's our pleasure to lift up Teri Hazelwood! Teri is the owner of a long-time community favorite, Herb N Lou's Pizza & Spirits. Here's our Q&A with Teri:
Tell us a little about your background. I was born and raised in West Branch and have worked (on and off) at Herb N Lou's since I was 13 years old. I've owned Herb N Lou's since 2016. Before that I owned a commercial and residential cleaning company and sold real estate for about 7 years.
Herb and Lou's is named after President Herbert Hoover and his wife Lou Henry Hoover. When Herb & Lou's first opened in 1988 there was a lot of controversy about naming a restaurant with a "bar" after the president and his wife.
Where can we find you? Herb N Lou's is located at 105 N Downey Street in West Branch. The kitchen is open Mon-Sat 11am-9pm. The bar opens at 11am and closing hours vary. We are closed on Sundays. You can see our menu and daily specials on Facebook at fb.com/Herbnlous.
What motivated you to start your business? I have always had a passion for being an entrepreneur and working for myself.
How long have you been operating? I'm just starting my 7th year however Herb & Lou's was first established in 1988 so it's been a staple in downtown West Branch!
What inspires your work and what sets your business apart? I love the fact that my business is only a few blocks from my home and both of my children, Emery and Ava work for me. We make a great team and I feel I have the best employee family.
Describe the products/services you offer. We are best known for our pizza, but also offer sandwiches, lunch specials, a salad bar and full bar. We have live music and karaoke often. Every Monday at 7pm we have Star Entertainment come and do Name That Tune, which is music trivia. It is tons of fun and prizes are given out each round and of course it's free to play! We also throw the best Hawkeye Football watch parties and special events you don't want to miss for Halloween and New Years Eve.
What are a few of your top-selling items? Definitely pizza. Herb's Heaper is a local favorite.
What brought you to Main Street West Branch? I was born and raised here and have always had great respect and love for West Branch. The history of our building and Main Street always intrigues me! Prior to Herb & Lou's our building was a hardware store. We love when customers have stories of how things used to look and operate.
What are your plans for the future of your business? In the future I would like to offer delivery options and possibly expand to having a food truck.
Fun Fact: My personal favorite menu item here at Herbs is Pepperoni pizza! I'm also obsessed with our BLT Pizza.
Meet Us on Main Street to visit with Teri and Eat, Shop, Explore at Exit 254!
