Polls open for "Best of Guttenberg"
By Molly Moser
The second annual Best of Guttenberg competition is being held in conjunction with Celebrate the Mississippi River and Guttenberg, scheduled for Aug. 7-9. Community members will once again be able to vote for their favorite burger, pie, and Bloody Mary in Guttenberg. Organizers from the sponsoring organization, Guttenberg Development & Tourism, will award certificates – and bragging rights – to merchants who are voted “Best of Guttenberg.”
The contest includes ten categories, several of which cater exclusively to voters’ taste buds. Voters can select their favorite pizza, fish, pie, burger, and Bloody Mary. In the virtual world, community members are invited to vote for the local business with the best website. Businesses will also be rewarded for offering the best customer service, the best view, and the most attractive storefront. The final category, best overall, will be awarded to the business community members feel exemplifies the many positive attributes not addressed by the given categories.
Vying for their second consecutive year voted 'best of' are Shepherd Gallery and Creativity Center, which was awarded Best Website in 2014, Kuempel's True Value Hardware for 2014's Best Storefront, Brown's Sales & Leasing for Best Customer Service, Picket Fence Cafe for Best Pie, Joe's Pizza for Best Pizza, and the Stadium Bar & Grill for Best Fish. Last year's winners also included Greaser's Drive-in for Best Burger, Riverview Cafe for Best View, and the Dam Riverview Sports Bar for Best Bloody Mary.
Last year, Blooming Branches collected the coveted Schwan Meister trophy for winning Best Overall Business. The trophy will travel next to whichever business receives the top award.
The contest is open to any business in Guttenberg who is a member of GD&T, an organization whose mission is to promote business, economic development, and tourism in Guttenberg and to provide events that support community values. “Those needing to renew their membership may do so to be included in the Best of Guttenberg contest,” reminds Emily Moser, director of GD&T.
Voting will be available online through GD&T’s Facebook page and website, www.guttenbergiowa.net, as well as in hard copy at the Welcome Center. Votes will be calculated after Celebrate the Mississippi River and Guttenberg, giving the public the opportunity to visit a variety of local businesses to sample their offerings before voting. Those who are voted ‘Best of’ will be announced on GD&T’s Facebook page on Monday, Aug. 10, and in The Guttenberg Press in the Aug. 12 issue.
“We hope that this friendly competition will encourage people to try new things and support local business,” said Moser.
Celebrate the Mississippi River and Guttenberg will include a youth fishing tournament, a 3K river walk, an art exhibition at Shepherd Gallery and Creativity Center, live music on Friday and Saturday nights, a Mississippi Mud Challenge, boat tours, and the sharing of river stories, history, and camraderie. For more information on the events this weekend, see inside this issue of The Guttenberg Press.
