Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from across the tri-states. This edition highlights recent developments in Dubuque and East Dubuque, Ill.

A home improvement store supporting a charitable cause has opened in Dubuque.

Stu’s Home Improvement Outlet is open at 9396 Bellevue Heights Road this week, at the site of the former Banworth & Udelhoven Furniture World.

The outlet sells discounted home appliances, from kitchen fixtures to interior decorations.

“Basically we sell last year’s models … and ‘scratch and dent’ (aesthetically damaged) items, all brand new, all full warranty,” owner Stu Surface said. “… We also sell new paintbrushes, new carpet, new vinyl. Anything that you would find at Home Depot or Lowe’s, we carry that.”

Surface said most of the discounts are achieved through bulk purchases and donations. But it’s the company’s mission that sets it apart.

“Our proceeds go directly to support veterans with mental health issues, the recovery of those (who struggle with) addiction and women and children who have been victims of domestic violence,” Surface said. “(We) provide them with (non-customer facing) jobs and resources to make sure that they stay in recovery. (Although) we are not a mental health counseling system, we will refer people out.”

Surface personally has been in recovery from addiction to pain medicine since 2015.

“I see the absolute issue with addiction here locally,” he said. “A lot of people are suffering from that, and they don’t know where to go or how to get the resources they need.”

His sympathy for veterans was imprinted by a close friend who dealt with mental health issues following the Gulf War.

“One of the things that always frustrated me was that he could never get the support he needed,” Surface said.

The nonprofit branch of the operation, Restoration Works, will take profit from the outlet and Surface’s 20 years of experience in real estate and construction and use them to help Surface’s target demographics.

Although Restoration Works is in its early days, Surface also plans to help his beneficiaries fund mental health and addiction treatments and help provide transportation to appointments.

”Our biggest ask right now if for folks to come out and support us so that we can do that,” he said. “Nothing happens if we don’t have customers.”

Stu’s Home Improvement Outlet is open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

More information is available at savewithstu.com.

East Dubuque marina gets tiki bar add-on

The owners of Mid-Town Marina in East Dubuque have expanded their offerings with a new covered tiki bar.

The addition seats 25 people with an indoor-outdoor floor plan adjacent to a stretch of covered patio seating.

“All in all, it’s about 3,000 square feet for both sides of the bar,” co-owner Jeremy McDowell said.

Oak-a-lay-lay’s tiki bar will have an expanded signature drink menu, including mai tais, a trademark mermaid punch recipe and five other new thematic drinks.

“(We’ve named the addition) after our first granddaughter (Oakley), who was born last July,” co-owner Brenda McDowell said. “The theme is really like something you’d find in Florida — it’s got that tropical vibe to it. … It’s got tiki masks, Margaritaville decor, license plates and netting — we were actually gifted this huge Captain Morgan statue, so that’s there.”

Mid-Town Marina will continue serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week year-round. Brenda said one of the biggest changes will be the number of live music acts.

“We’ve always done some live music acts, but we’re really going to up our game at that,” she said. “We’re adding live music or an event every Thursday night. We’ll also have live music on Friday and Saturday nights.”

Mid-Town Marina has been in business since 1968, owned by Jeremy’s parents, Arnie and Sandy, since 1988 and by Brenda and Jeremy since 2017.

“I just think that people who have been here before are going to notice something is very different about the ambiance,” Brenda said. “I hope you enjoy the views and sounds — all of it. … We want it to be an inviting place to be, whether you come by boat or by land.”

For more information, visit midtownmarina.com.

Dubuque candy company adds DuBetty bar

The Dubai chocolate bar is a culinary invention that took social media by storm in 2024 when users began sharing their experiences tasting and making the treat.

Betty Jane Candies, of Dubuque, has added a Dubai chocolate imitation to its lineup, as well as other treats — including one that infuses locally roasted coffee — this summer.

Mass-produced variants of the Dubai candy have not always succeeded in preserving its original essence — the marriage of high-quality chocolate, pistachio and a Middle Eastern pastry that creates a taste and texture unique among American candies.

“I remember seeing them at the grocery store and thinking, ‘Hey, we could make that pretty easily,’” said Drew Siegert, president of Betty Jane Candies. “(With) some of these larger companies, you’ll see mass-produced (stuff) where I don’t even know what they’re using. There’s a difference between chocolate, which is what we use, and things called confectionery coating, where it’s not really chocolate — it’s ingredients that mimic chocolate and taste somewhat like chocolate. But it’s not real chocolate.”

Still, for the first three months, Siegert dismissed the Dubai bar as a fad that would die out quickly.

“Then I was seeing them not only at the grocery store but all over town,” he said. “People were advertising them on their street signs. So we developed our DuBetty bar recipe, and the response has been amazing.”

Betty Jane’s DuBetty bar recipe melts the shop’s homemade blend of milk and dark chocolate into molds filled with the green pistachio paste, Kataifi toasted pastry strands and nutty Tahini paste in the Dubai bars.

Now stores across town, including Hy-Vee, Fareway and Hartig Drug, stock the DuBetty bar when it’s available.

“We’re actually having a lot of trouble keeping them in stock,” Siegert said. “We’ll get it ironed out, but we didn’t expect that big of a response.”

Betty Jane also has other innovations to showcase this summer, including its caffeinated milk chocolate coffee bark made with Verena Street coffee grounds and sold at both locations.

The store also introduced Shorties — shortbread cookie crumbles sourced from local bakeries, combined with Betty Jane homemade Gremlin caramel and covered in milk chocolate.

Betty Jane has expanded its hours this summer, now from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, visit bettyjanecandies.com.