Joppa Experience News Today

'Tenacious' owners struggle to keep afloat Vietnam Cafe, Tamale's Industry, other eateries at Merle Hay Mall as planned new attractions like a hockey arena meet delays.

"It's the culmination of history, the culmination of everything our community needs all wrapped into one," metro entrepreneur Marquas Ashworth said. "When you have a community like mine who's been marginalized, it deserves that extra attention."

Here are some ways you can celebrate Juneteenth in the Des Moines area this year.

This is the second year of the Rob Johnson Birthday Gas Giveaway. Details on where to find free gas on Saturday here. 👇

Jerry Talerico is the dean of local chefs. He was the first Iowan to attend the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). He grew up in his father’s legendary restaurant Vic’s Tally Ho where steak de Burgo was on the menu before anywhere else. He owned Sam & Gabe’s, a legend in its own right. Today h

A special birthday celebration helped around 100 Iowans in need of fuel.

A special birthday celebration helped around 100 Iowans in need of fuel.

A special birthday celebration helped around 100 Iowans in need of fuel.

A special birthday celebration helped around 100 Iowans in need of fuel.

The Joppa Experience, in many ways, is a throwback to a kinder, gentler America. Mike Whalen, a developer, restaurateur and pundit, once spoke to the Iowa Restaurant Association suggesting that a restaurant, as well as any institution, personifies our collective humanity. That was a romantic n