New smokehouse restaurant coming to Second and Willis

A smokehouse restaurant is in the works for the old Conklin Jewelers and Woolworth’s buildings at Second Street and Willis Avenue in downtown Perry.

Jacqueline Riekena and Davin Roberts of Des Moines bought the 11,000-square-foot property at the first of the month and have big plans for its revival, but first comes demolition of the long-dilapidated commercial space.

“We’ve hauled off 16 tons from here in the last eight days,” Riekena said Monday. “There’s two miles of wiring in here, and we’ve found seven boilers and five hidden stairways.”

Riekena derives from the Wittrock clan of Okarche, Okla., and she speaks with a drawl not unlike some other enterprising Perry entrepreneurs. She said the smokehouse will come first, with a tea room and brew pub to follow.

The business is called La Paris est. 1869 LLC, Roberts said, speaking through a dust mask covering his mouth and nose. He pointed proudly to the bare concrete floor that was recently hidden by half-a-dozen layers of linoleum and carpeting.

“Demolition first,” Roberts said, “and then the new facade.”

Not wasting any time, Riekena said pulled pork sandwiches and deep-dish pies will be available during Art on the Prairie this Saturday and Sunday. They are even bringing in a band to perform Saturday starting at 1:30 p.m.

She said a special 1 p.m. announcement will be made at the building’s southern entrance at 1208 Willis Avenue. She will happily show the blue ribbons she has won for her pulled pork, apple hickory barbecue sauce and fruit pie recipes. Some of her products trade under the name Southern Lady Miss J. R.

The old Conklin Jewelers and Woolworth’s property, which currently houses one tenant, the El Rey Meat Market, has been held since 2009 by Robert Wenger of Perry. The building has an assessed valuation in the 2016-2017 tax year of about $150,000, according to county assessor records.

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