Person 2 Person: Newcomer to Cedar Rapids Restaurant Scene

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The experience of "The Bohemian" begins from the outside. Years of meticulous renovations to the brick and limestone building, originally constructed in 1893 by Czechoslovakian immigrants, have culminated in this modern, welcoming, and intriguing space with pieces of history in all directions. Gas lights from New Orleans lead you to the door where you enter the atrium and the heart of "The Bohemian". "Everything you see here is something I conceived and designed", says co-owner Michael Richards.

Michael and his wife, Lynette, are Iowa natives, and the proud proprietors. Both are 71 years old. "The Bohemian" is their newest adventure and includes two of their sons, daughter-in-law, and granddaughters. Michael says, "We refer to what we're doing here as a celebration of art, food, music, and community." The Richards met some 44 years ago on a year long tour of Central and South America. Lynette describes her expectations of the tour, saying , "My intentions of going on the trip were to see places that were remote, before they weren't there anymore." Lynette did see the ancient landmarks, but she also noticed a single father with his two young boys. She says "I went away just thinking, this trip is going to be more interesting than I planned." By the time they reached Peru, Mike and Lynette were getting married in the Andes mountains at Machu Picchu.

The Richards' love of adventure is reflected in the many artifacts antiques and collectibles discovered along their journeys together including years spent living in New York City. "Our entire time in New York had been an immersion in the arts. All of what goes on here at "The Bohemian" would have that cultural influence from living in New York", Richards says. Mike's love of art is on most every wall and many of the works are by local painters. "The Bohemian" is divided into seven zones with each room on the three levels evoking a different vibe. He says, "I had one person describe it, as you could go on a pub crawl, and never leave the building." There's a roof garden equipped with a retractable metal glass enclosure that's billed as the only one of its kind in the Midwest. When it's closed, customers can stay warm or cool while gazing out at the historic Newbo district. What you won't find in "The Bohemian" is a television. "I think we've struck a chord of common human need, to just sit around a fire, sit around a table, and have great conversation."

Even the food is designed after another adventure. The Richards took a road trip up through the Mississippi River valley from New Orleans to Minnesota. Lynette says, "We have a lot of smoked foods, ribs, jambalaya, going on up the Mississippi River valley, features from each major city." The produce is fresh and bought from local farms. It's another example of the couple's longstanding commitment to giving back. Now that the doors are open, they say their lifelong vision is ready to be shared with people of all walks of life. Mike sums it up, saying ,"The most common comment when most people walk in, they say 'I'm awestruck."

The Bohemian is on 3rd Street Southeast across from Raygun in the NewBo District. Right now the restaurant has limited hours during a soft opening but will have a full grand opening for the Fourth of July.