Thoma Dairy Bar-- Garnavillo, Iowa
‘Thoma’ is the last name of a family that has been pillars in the community of Garnavillo, Iowa. ‘Dairy Bar’ coupled with ‘Thoma’ is the one and only restaurant in the aforementioned community. The community ‘Garnavillo, Iowa’ is where both Kathleen and I grew up, dated through high school, and graduated from in 1963.
The “Thoma Dairy Bar” was the ‘hang out’, ‘meet after’, ‘burger with fries’, and ‘malt’ stop for us after (me) from Basketball practice, and (Kathleen) after Cheerleader practice and of course all the other couples that had interest in each other and of course the singles too…
There were four booths along the south wall, and a row of about 10 stools along a low counter (the kind where you could lean forward, rest your elbows on the top, and still be hunched over) from which behind, all those malts mixed and ice cream was scooped. There was a small kitchen that turned out all the other goodies.
We have been gone for many years now but when we do visit Garnavillo it would not be complete if we did not stop in to “Thoma’s Dairy Bar” for at least a malt if not for some of the other goodies as well.
Guess what? There are very few changes to the restaurant since those early years. There are still the same four booths along the south side. The counter and stools have also not changed (perhaps recovered) and the kitchen appears to be the same.
On this visit covering a few weeks Kathleen and I have frequented “Thoma’s” a little more than usual. Hoping to see people we might have known, but if we were to admit it, just to take a little trip down memory lane. The trip down memory lane has been a wonderful experience for us both but we also have been lucky to catch a few sitting in the booths, or leaning on the counter, who factored in to our lives at some point in the past.
Pictured below is me talking with Paul Peltz (Hobie) who was a couple years older than I was but who was probably responsible for me still having a pretty face as it was Paul who came to my aid when some guys from a neighboring town threatened to beat the crap out of me for chasing their women (girls). No I wasn’t dating Kathleen at the time (she was only 14). Paul was a masculine hunk of a guy who commanded a lot of respect and after putting out the word that anyone who messed with me would have to do so through him----I was cleared to, shall we say, look over the hill. I had to ask the waitress (Beth) on duty today if that was “Paul Peltz” sitting at the counter, reading the paper, as I have not seen Paul in many years. It was great to be able to visit with Paul and reminisce about those fading memories.
How can it be that so little has changed but yet so much water has flowed under the bridge? You want a good malt, or burger and fries? Give Thoma’s a try.
