Big Four Steakhouse coming to Sheldon

SHELDON—Kitty Campbell has cooked up quite a career since her start at the Iron Horse Supper Club in Sheldon four decades ago.

Since then, Campbell has been made stops in Okoboji, Des Moines and Tucson, AZ, to manage restaurants.

Her career is coming full circle as the Sheldon native is back home, and she will be the general manager of the Big Four Steakhouse, which will be located in the same building that used to house the Iron Horse.

The announcement of the soon-to-be Sheldon restaurant was made Wednesday, May 3, by Campbell, who is teaming up with Michael Reese of Tasty Good Brands in Des Moines to open Big Four Steakhouse.

“This is kind of new for him, but that’s why I’m here because I’ve been in restaurants since I was in high school,” Campbell said. “I’ve done it for many, many years, from running restaurants to recruiting for restaurants.”

The opening date is yet to be determined, but Campbell said the goal is to be open no later than the end of the summer.

The restaurant will be a mix of fine dining with family atmosphere, and it will serve lunch and supper to start. The goal is to eventually add brunch and a catering service.

“We feel that we will start with lunch and dinner and let the team get settled in have things running like clockwork then we can add that extra element,” Campbell said. “We’re going to be very interested in participating in catering in the area.”

Reese will be the owner and operator of Big Four Steakhouse through Tasty Good Brands with Campbell managing the restaurant.

Campbell, a 1982 Sheldon High School graduate, moved back to her hometown about five years ago and Reese found out about her “through the grapevine.”

“We had a conversation back in October or November and started talking about what could potentially be a great steakhouse here in Sheldon,” Campbell said. “ Through several conversations, he hired me to be his general manager.”

Having the Big Four Steakhouse at 1113 Second Ave. continues the string of restaurants in the building that is connected to the Midwest Global Motel on old Highway 60.

It has been 50 years since Brad and Joyce Benson teamed with Al and Betty Mataloni opened Iron Horse Supper Club. Campbell still is friends with the Bensons’ daughter, Anne LeBru.

“I was talking to her about this, and she’s got some photos and things when it was the Iron Horse that she’s going to bring in,” Campbell said.

There have been three other restaurants in the building since the Iron Horse — Kimbrae South, Obediah’s Steak & Seafood and the most recent, Old 60 Steaks & Chops. The building has sat empty since Old 60 Steaks & Chops closed in August of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic until Reese’s purchase of the building.

The name Big Four has deep roots in Sheldon, referring to the Sheldon mills flour brand “Big Four,” which was one of the several brands that including the Prairie Queen Mills flour.

“Michael is a history buff, and he did his research before he talked to me. When he said, ‘Big Four,’ I said there used to be a Big Four,” Campbell said. “So, that was important to him to tie the community to what we are doing because that’s why we are here, for this community and the surrounding communities. Making those connections are important.”

While Campbell got her start at the Iron Horse, her first managerial job in the restaurant industry was at Maxwell’s Beach Cafe in Arnolds Park before taking jobs in Des Moines and then Tucson. She is managed and recruited for national chains P.F. Chang’s and Pei Wei Asian Kitchen while in Arizona.

With plenty of restaurant experience, Campbell looks to piece together the ingredients to create a restaurant with a salivating menu for all to enjoy to go along with the right ambience to the interior.

The interior of the building does not need extensive work since it has some “great bones,” Campbell said.

“It’s just a refresh. New paint, new carpet, rearranging a little, booths that need to be reupholstered, artwork that is being considered,” she said. “We want it to have it be a little upscale but family friendly. So, finding that happy medium is where we’re at now, and we have some really good ideas.”

Even though it needs a good cleaning after sitting empty for almost two years, the kitchen is in good shape.

Besides coming up with ideas for the interior, Campbell also is coming up with the menu for food and beverages.

The restaurant menu will have steaks, chicken and fish to go along with burgers and sandwiches, soup and salads, appetizers and desserts with a focus on locally sourced, seasonal and quality ingredients.

“The menu will have options,” Campbell said. “At dinner, it’s not going to be just steaks. It’s going to be burgers and things like that. I think the menu is going to be very fun, and I think people will like that. We will have a good menu for kids as well. That’s important to us since we want families to come in.”

For the bar, Campbell plans to have interesting beer options along with good liquor. She wants to have wine labels that are recognizable but also is going to bring in some “interesting lines.”

Campbell also has to hire a staff. She hopes the restaurant adds 15-20 jobs in Sheldon which will range from assistant general manager, kitchen manager and assistant manager along with wait staff and bartenders.

She is looking to fill positions and may be reached at kcampbell@bigfoursteakhouse.com.

“We are starting to talk to people in the next couple of weeks,” Campbell said. “We are more than willing to train, so we are looking at anybody coming in. I have a huge background in training staff and recruiting, so I’m all about even if you don’t have restaurant experience, we can teach you. The biggest thing is smiling and being happy and friendly.”

The exterior signage will need to be changed since there is a large Old 60 Steaks & Chops sign in the middle of the front brick wall along with a road sign with the similar logo.

The Big Four Steakhouse logo, which also was revealed last Wednesday, will more than likely replace those signs.

Campbell already is feeling some of the community’s elation for the project. Even though there was not a concrete opening day set in last Wednesday’s announcement, people reached out to her to express their excitement for a new eatery in N’West Iowa.

“The response so far gives us that excitement and energy to propel us forward,” Campbell said. “We know that Sheldon is ready for us.”