TRAER – If you’re hankering for a pizza in Tama County, you can now officially add Traer Pizza Palace back to your list of restaurant options.

“The dough has continued to rise and we’re ready to put the pizza in the oven,” restaurant ownership triumphantly posted to social media last weekend. “After weeks of training, learning, and two successful soft openings, we’re excited to officially announce that Traer Pizza Palace will open Friday, July 17, 2026! We are incredibly grateful for everyone’s patience, encouragement, and support throughout this journey.”

Prior to shuttering last August, the restaurant, located just outside of Traer’s downtown at 104 S. Main St., had been in operation as Traer Pizza Palace for nearly three decades by owners Rick and Brenda Rundel.

“There’s been a lot of interest in the business so I don’t think it will [be] gone for long,” the Rundels posted to social media last summer upon announcing their retirement.

True to prediction, the business didn’t sit idle for long. On the final day of 2025, three area couples – operating as Pizza Palace, LLC – purchased the business and the building, including Scott and Jana Monat of Clutier; Jared Hasselmann and Carri Holst of Traer; and Jammie and Kimberly Howard of Buckingham.

After months of work getting the business back up and running, the new owners held a pair of soft openings – the first for mostly family members on Wednesday, July 8, and the second for invited guests the following Friday. Both events went swimmingly, according to co-owner Kim Howard who, for now, is working as the restaurant’s manager.

“They rocked it,” Kim told the newspaper Friday evening in regard to her young waitstaff’s performance. “The first night went really, really well.”

Pizza Palace’s new waitstaff is led by locals Brooklyn Johanningmeier and Trista Zimple — both of whom previously worked for the Rundels.

“We couldn’t have done anything tonight without Brooklyn and Trista,” Kim said. “They helped train the team.”

Familiar faces Friday evening also included the Rundels themselves who were helping out co-owner Jared Hasselmann in the kitchen.

When asked about the time it took to reopen coupled with the decision to hold two initial soft openings, Kim said the ownership team – all of whom are new to owning and operating a restaurant – wanted to be certain there were no gaps in the process, that equipment performed as needed, and training was sufficient.

“We’ve built a great team with a good foundation. Hopefully we have long-term employees like Rick and Brenda used to have,” Kim added.

In terms of the menu, she said they stuck with what works, including the Rundels’ signature deep dish (pan) pizza.

“Nothing in the recipe has changed (including the dough),” Kim explained. “We’re using the same (food) distributors. It was very, very important to us that the recipe remain the same.”

For anyone who frequented the venue prior to the Rundels’ retirement, the space should remain familiar. According to co-owner Jana Monat, the only changes of note include a new ceiling, some minor updates around the point of sale station, and new internal windows and trim between the first and second dining room.

When contacted over the weekend following the two soft openings, Kim said the team “did an amazing job.”

“We saw tremendous growth between our first soft opening and last night’s event. There were no major gaps in our systems, and our equipment performed as it should. Based on how things went, the ownership group has decided to move forward.”

Traer Pizza Palace will hold its grand opening today, Friday, July 17, from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Going forward, the restaurant will be open Thursday through Sunday from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. for both dine-in and carryout.

For more information, including menu offerings and the launch of the business’s website, visit the Traer Pizza Palace Facebook page or call 319-478-2281.

The Knight has returned.