While Ames area residents enjoyed many new business openings in 2024, several longstanding operations shuttered.
The list includes restaurants, a pharmacy and a Halloween attraction that thrilled fans for nearly a quarter century.
Here's a list of some of the Ames businesses that closed in 2024:
Old Chicago Pizza + Taproom in Ames closed on Oct. 31. The Ames restaurant was the last central Iowa location after establishments closed in Ankeny on Dec. 31, 2023, and in the Merle Hay Mall in Des Moines in 2019.
More: Old Chicago in Ames closes
Longtime Campustown restaurant Little Taipei said goodbye to its customers on Oct. 5. The Chinese food institution had a menu of traditional Cantonese dishes. Located at 2514 Chamberlain St., Little Taipei owner Ting Zhou said that businesses near Iowa State University's campus have seen a decrease in customer traffic that never fully recovered after the Covid pandemic.
More: Little Taipei near the Iowa State campus closes its doors
The popular Ames sports bar West Towne Pub closed on April 15 after serving local customers for 18 years. West Towne was named to the Top 10 list in Iowa's Best Burger contest in 2022. The pub was located at 4518 Mortensen Road, Suite 101. Ames' first Mullets restaurant replaced West Towne in July.
More: Popular west Ames sports bar and restaurant closes suddenly after 18 years
A popular Campustown establishment known for its fried tacos suddenly closed under the orders of the Story County Sheriff's Office in December. Es Tas Sports Bar & Grill, located at 216 Stanton Ave. near the Iowa State University campus, was served an eviction notice on Dec. 2 for allegedly failing to pay rent.
More: Popular Ames sports bar, known for its fried tacos, was evicted from its Campustown building
An Ames sports bar and grill that was home to "Iowa's Best Burger" 10 years ago closed its doors on Dec. 7. Located in the Somerset neighborhood at 2704 Stange Road, Brick City Grill closed for financial reasons, according to owner Jason Mikkelsen. Brick City Grill opened in 2013 and was initially located just north of Northridge Parkway, across the street from Wallaby's Bar and Grille. The establishment moved to a larger space a couple of doors down about two and a half years ago, Mikkelsen said.
More: This Ames restaurant, which was Iowa's Best Burger in 2014, is closing on Saturday closed in December
Central Iowan loved being terrified at Ames Haunted Forest for nearly 25 years. But in 2024, Lynn and Lee Ballard, the brothers who operated the scary attraction, decided to leave the fright business. The icon of terror along University Boulevard across from Jack Trice Stadium shuttered ahead of the Halloween season. The Ballards plan to continue to use the property for event parking.
More: End of a spooky era: Ames Haunted Forest permanently closes after over 20 years of scares
More: CVS pharmacy in Campustown closed in May
The CVS Pharmacy, located at 2420 Lincoln Way in Ames closed in May. Prescriptions from the Campustown location were transferred to the CVS inside the South Duff Target store in Ames. In 2022, CVS announced plans to close about 900 stores nationwide, which was about 10% of its fleet, according to a Jan. 12 USA TODAY article.
Tribune reporter Celia Brocker contributed to this story.
Ronna Faaborg covers business and the arts for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: What Ames area businesses closed in 2024?