Kyle Peters has worked hard for 18 years to make today a reality.
His new Daiquiri Factory bar and restaurant is opening Thursday, May 18, at 303 W. 3rd St., Davenport. They’ll be open 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. (kitchen closing at 9 p.m.) Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Normal hours are expected to be 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, 11 a.m. to midnight Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.
‘It was monstrous,” owner Peters said Thursday morning of the renovations that totally rebuilt a former bar space at the location. He opened the first Daiquiri Factory in 2004 at 1809 2nd Ave., Rock Island, when he was just 23.
“To expand Daiquiri Factory and grow it, food was important,” Peters said, noting there’s no kitchen in Rock Island. “That was definitely important, was to add the food component, and good food. The daiquiris are made by hand and same with the food – all our sauces are made in house.”
“The food’s really good; we hired a chef out of Houston,” he said of Bryan Caswell. “He’s an award-winning chef, been all over the world.”
The menu has a wide variety of appetizers, sliders, burgers, sandwiches, tacos, and salads. They’re still waiting on getting a smoker, so they’re on a limited menu to start.
Peters also wanted to program more year-round, to offer DJs, live music and stand-up comedy. Rock Island has just 2,000 square feet of space (plus an outdoor patio), and Davenport has 5,000 square feet, and a total seating capacity of 400.
Peters is the main music booker for The Rust Belt, East Moline.
The new Daiquiri Factory will have over 30 full- and part-time employees. They wanted to be in downtown Davenport for their fun-loving style and vibe.
“I like that there are multiple events down here throughout the year, not just summer,” Peters said. “It seems like programming is pretty heavy down here.”
“That’s why you choose business to be in a downtown, to take advantage of that synergy,” he said. “We’re looking forward to it, definitely. For 18 years, we’ve heard, ‘You gotta come to Iowa.’ We heard you. We were just waiting for the right opportunity and the right time. We thought this was the right time to grow.”
About 17 months of design and construction
Peters bought the Davenport property Dec. 31, 2020, and faced challenges in getting contractors and materials to do the total renovation. “I’ve always loved the location,” he said. “It’s very rare to have 100 feet of store frontage on a main drag like this. When I saw my vision, it was bringing the garage-door concept downtown. I like a lot of natural light.”
The enclosed patio (that seats about 85) along 3rd Street features three large garage doors that open, perfect for today’s beautiful weather. “The nature of Daiquiri Factory and our product really excels when you can get out on a patio or deck. This location, being on a zero-lot line, we were limited in what we could do in outdoor space.
“So we had to get creative, our team thought about it and ended up coming with using part of the existing building,” Peters said. “The space is usable year-round.”
He dreams of having the St. Patrick’s Day Parade going by, where patrons can enjoy it from the heated patio.
“The goal is to have that like you’re walking down Broadway in Nashville, the doors are up,” Peters said. “You can hear the music, feel it. That’s what we wanted to accomplish.”
DJs all this weekend
He has DJs all this weekend, starting tonight. He also wants to eventually program outdoor shows, which he loves to do in Rock Island. The indoor programs will all be in the east end of the place.
The long bar (which seats 21) has 12 rotating daiquiri stations. All the wood tables and chairs were also made by hand.
“One of our biggest messages we’ve tried to send for 18 years is, the daiquiris are made by hand. We mix them twice a week,” Peters said. “And same with our food. We wanted to make our food really kick-ass. When people ask me, what is the new Daiquiri Factory? It’s a bar with kick-ass food.”
“That’s who we are,” he said. “One of our goals – from Rock Island to Davenport – people can come here and feel comfortable. You don’t feel out of place. Our mission statement from 2004 was to eliminate the feeling of discomfort.”
What will happen to Rock Island?
The hours of the Rock Island location are 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday to Saturday. Peters said many people won’t cross the river, and will prefer Rock Island or Davenport.
“We’ll see how it goes. We don’t have a specific plan in place,” he said of the original Daq Fac. “That’s my baby; I’ve had it for 18 years. I don’t want to close it. It’s a great space; I love the space.”
It will be interesting to see what happens to the Great River Plaza in downtown Rock Island, Peters said of plans to give it a new look.
“Infrastructure and upgrades are important,” he said. “I think the public and the private really have to pull together. For now, we’re gonna see what happens. Between the Belt, here and Rock Island, I’m definitely busy. I’m married, got two kids – a 13- and 9-year-old. I kind of just take it in stride.”
“Without being in Rock Island and starting there, that got me into promoting,” Peters said. “I learned how to book large-scale events from there, festivals. How to manage a business, manage staff, grow a business. All of these opportunities were borne out of that location. The Rust Belt opportunity came from Rock the District and the events we did there.”
Painting and obstacles
In Davenport, the super-cool woman in sunglasses on a wall over the kitchen was designed by Michael Murphy and printed in large form by Stecker Graphics. Peters plans to have Atlanta Dawn paint murals on other walls.
“This has been a big build — very challenging,” he said of the renovations. “Challenging from design, challenging with the climate we were going through.”
It was also hard to endure the deaths of his stepfather and a longtime employee in the past year. “It was challenging, an emotional build,” Peters said. “You think of your life, what happens in 18 months.”
“I’m just glad we’re at the point, we’re here,” he said. “It’s a celebration that we’re opening, but also celebrating overcoming the challenges, just bringing it all full circle. We’re there.”
For updates on the new business, visit Daiquiri Factory on Facebook.
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