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Newton Today
By the People, for the People
Newton Mayor Seeks to Fill Vacant Perkins Restaurant Building
The longtime diner closed, but city leaders are already fielding interest from potential new tenants.
Feb. 3, 2026 at 12:15am
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The Perkins restaurant in Newton, Iowa, which had operated since the 1970s, permanently closed this past weekend. Newton Mayor Randy Ervin says the building along Highway 14 just north of Interstate 80 has already drawn interest from three potential new tenants, and the city is making recruiting new restaurants a top priority after the closure of Perkins and another local diner, April's, in late 2025.
Why it matters
The closure of two long-standing restaurants in Newton highlights the challenges small towns face in maintaining a vibrant dining and retail scene, especially as consumer habits and economic conditions change. The mayor's proactive approach to finding a new tenant for the Perkins building signals the city's commitment to supporting local businesses and preserving its community character.
The details
The Perkins restaurant in Newton had been operating since the 1970s but permanently closed this past weekend. Mayor Randy Ervin says the building, located along Highway 14 just north of Interstate 80, has already drawn interest from three potential new tenants. Ervin believes recruiting new restaurants needs to be a high priority for the city's economic development team, especially since another local diner, April's, also closed in late 2025.
- The Perkins restaurant permanently closed this past weekend.
- April's Diner on the city's square closed in late December 2025.
The players
Randy Ervin
The mayor of Newton, Iowa, who is working to find a new tenant for the former Perkins restaurant building.
Perkins
A restaurant chain that had operated a location in Newton, Iowa since the 1970s before it permanently closed this past weekend.
April's Diner
A local diner in Newton, Iowa that closed in late 2025.
What they’re saying
“I've already had three calls from different people with ideas to put things back in there. So we are going to take a look at it and do what we can as an economic development team for the city. Now with April's and Perkins gone, we have got to put a full-court press on some people to bring restaurants back into this town.”
— Randy Ervin, Mayor
What’s next
The Newton City Council will discuss the vacant Perkins building and the city's efforts to recruit new restaurants at their next meeting.
The takeaway
The closure of two long-standing restaurants in Newton underscores the challenges small towns face in maintaining a vibrant dining scene, but the mayor's proactive approach to finding a new tenant for the Perkins building signals the city's commitment to supporting local businesses and preserving its community character.
