Why restaurants belong at the Chamber table

Breakfast with family, lunch with colleagues, dinner with friends – the natural gathering places in the QC are our local restaurants and bars. They’re also where visitors get a first taste of our region and where great conversations, both personal and professional take place.

“Breakfast in the Quad Cities is kind of a big deal,” says Rachel Stevens, Chamber member and owner of the Double D Diner at 2225 W. 53^rd St., Suite 400 in Davenport. Known for their Philly breakfast burrito and homemade corned beef hash, the diner is a neighborhood favorite, but Stevens said she wanted the entire QC to know about her business on the northwest side of town.

“I purchased the business in 2024,” said Stevens. “I always wanted to have my own business - I’ve worked in the food industry my entire career,” she said. “I really didn’t know a lot about the Chamber until the membership team reached out to me. I thought it was a good thing for a small business to get our name out there, especially since we’re on the west side of town. Not everyone knows about us yet.”

Stevens says going to events like the Chamber’s Coffee MeetUp has helped her connect with other small businesses she didn’t know about. “Definitely, the events have helped me connect,” she says. “And I’m hoping to drive more traffic to my website, by having my listing on the Chamber’s site.” She adds that she’s also excited to be a part of the Chamber’s upcoming Quad Cities Showcase: Hob Nosh ’26 on April 22 at the Bend XPO Center. “We’ll be doing samples of our cinnamon rolls this year.”  

Another trend in the restaurant industry right now is spicy chicken, something Jimmy Holt, Chamber member and owner of the new franchise, Ghost Chicken, 6828 Championship Dr. in Bettendorf, knows all about. He’s hoping that Quad Citizens will try out his fresh chicken sandwiches with homemade sauces, sidewinder fries, creamy coleslaw and refreshing energy drinks.

“One thing that we do that none of our competitors do is that our chicken is always cooked fresh, and we use Hawaiian buns, which are really popular with our younger demographic. We’re not just honing in on 'hot' – we have a big flavor profile with lots of different spices – you don’t always see in the market,” he added.

Holt, who also owns the well-known Barrel House restaurant franchise, said he became interested in trying out this new business model after the pandemic, and the Ghost Chicken concept fit the bill.

“I liked the momentum of what’s going on out near the TBK Bank Sports Complex. There wasn’t a chicken concept in that area. We’re hoping Ghost Chicken will grow into a national brand, so we wanted to be along the interstate so people would recognize our logo. Our goal is to have franchises around the region and the Midwest,” he said. Their recognizable Ghost Chicken logo is available in stickers, t-shirts and other swag.

About Chamber membership, he said, “I’m 100% pro-Chamber. I always have been. I always will be. I’ve always made it a point to be a part of the Chamber, a part of the community,” he said. “When we go into new markets with new franchises, the first thing I tell people to do is to be a part of the Chamber, to get that community buy-in. Businesses want to know what resources are out there. At the end of the day, it’s about ‘how can we help each other?’”

Want to support a local restaurant? QC Restaurant Week is April 6 -12.