Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from across the tri-states. This edition highlights developments in Dubuque; Lake Delhi, Iowa; and Cuba City, Wis.

For Noah Riley, music is more than just a passing tune.

The Dubuque resident began listening to music at a young age, and it quickly became a passion. He opened a mobile DJ business at 16 and spent years honing his sound until deciding recently to open his own music venue.

Riley achieved that dream by opening The Goose at 920 Main St. in partnership with Natalie Heck. The multifaceted business has a variety of features and includes a music venue, yoga studio and bar.

“It’s a place where we can appreciate music for what it’s meant to be,” Riley said. “We utilize the best speakers we can get, and we really focus on the music itself, whether that’s listening to the jukebox or hosting a show.”

The hi-fi lounge fills the space formerly occupied by The Fox Den, a music venue that closed this spring. Heck showed the space to potential buyers in her role as a Realtor, but eventually began considering the space more seriously for her and Riley’s own endeavors.

The couple agreed that the space fit their needs, and they took it over this spring. Minimal renovations were needed to the space, Heck said, although the decor has been revamped and rearranged.

“We’re going for a New Orleans theme,” she said. “For us, it just seemed like the best of both worlds when we visited, between all the spirituality, having fun and being in a community.”

Yoga classes will eventually take place on the lower level of the building, Heck explained, which at night will be transformed into a music venue. The upper level includes the bar and seating area, where the pair will serve a variety of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.

“We wanted to try to bring equal value to both the drinking and the non-drinking aspects of our place,” Heck said. “We have a short list of four cocktails and then two (mocktails) on the menu, then there’s nonalcoholic beer and a variety of teas.”

The Goose will host its first public performance Saturday, Aug. 31, with a show by bass music producer Viskus. After that, the lounge will be open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Information about upcoming shows and classes can be found online at tinyurl.com/GooseDBQ.

Delaware County events venue offers ‘blank canvas’

A Delaware County events center is finding success in its first summer season.

Big Sky Event Center is a new venue near Lake Delhi, Iowa, that focuses on offering a customizable space for weddings, graduation parties and a wide variety of other celebrations. It includes a large indoor seating area and an attached patio.

“I like to say it’s a blank canvas,” said co-owner Heidi Reth. “There’s a lot of space to come in and really just make it whatever you want it to be. We have the space, and you bring your ideas to bring it to life.”

Reth runs Big Sky Event Center with her husband, Shawn. The center sits on a corner of the couple’s family farm in the space previously filled by a barn once used by Shawn’s grandparents.

The pair had been interested in opening an events center for some time, but Reth said it wasn’t until late last year that they decided to open it so close to home. Construction on the building finished just in time for the first booking: the couple’s own wedding.

“We finished it two days before the wedding, so we cut it a little close,” Reth said with a laugh. “But we have some really beautiful views out here, and that’s something that we really wanted to share with people.”

The event center has interior capacity for roughly 250 people, although more could be accommodated using the outdoor patio. More information about the center and booking details can be found online at bigskyeventcenter.com or by calling 563-920-5565.

Area couple open new Cuba City tavern

Ever since their granddaughter, 1-year-old Kenley, was born, Jeff and Carrie Mizner wanted to live closer to their youngest family member.

So they moved to Cuba City.

And for the past handful of years, Jeff had his eye on someday owning a bar: So they bought one in Cuba City.

And since July, the couple — who moved to town from Davis Junction, Ill. — has been planting new roots in the community.

“I’ve always wanted to do something on my own, and the thought (of opening a bar) had been in my mind for a while,” Jeff said. “Then this one came up.”

Their newest adventure, Cuba City Tap, opened for the first time last weekend.

It’s come with plenty of lessons. Jeff, who drives a truck, and Carrie, who recently retired after a 30-year career in health care, are learning what it takes to run a small-town watering hole. They say as they grow, so will the business.

“We really like it here,” Carrie said. “Since we moved here, people have been so nice and welcoming. It makes us feel like we made the right decision.”

The couple purchased the longtime Main Street haunt Dead End Bar & Grill that shuttered last year. The Mizners needed to make minimal changes, they said, besides some fresh paint and new signage and equipment.

The couple hope to soon begin serving food as well, starting with pizzas and some snack offerings. Area musicians also will appear periodically at the establishment, including at an Oct. 26 grand-opening celebration event.

They also intend to play off of Cuba City’s nickname, “City of Presidents,” by offering president-themed drinks. A William Taft-inspired drink will be named “the bathtub,” for example, as a play off folklore that states America’s 27th president once got stuck in a bathtub.

“We are hoping to build something we can pass on to our kids. We realized how fast we’ve grown up … and wanted to try to step out of the box,” Jeff said.

Cuba City Tap is located at 109 S. Main St. The bar is open 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday. More information can be found on the bar’s Facebook page.