Take A Look Inside The Newest And ‘Sweetest’ Bar In Eastern Iowa

Lately, it feels like a lot of the articles I've been writing have been about Iowa restaurants and bars closing. But finally, I get to tell you about a new bar opening on the Iowa side and it's a bar with a vibe, décor, and atmosphere you won't find anywhere else in the Quad Cities.

Over the summer, we told you about a new bar coming to Davenport that was slowly but surely being revealed. That bar is called Candy's BackBar (4751 Progress Drive) and Ellie and I got a chance to take a sneak peek inside before the grand opening the first weekend in December.

Candy's BackBar is the fourth bar owned by Austin and Johnna Chesney. The Chesneys also own three popular bars on the Iowa side including Public House Davenport (est. 2016), The Ridge Social Drinkery (est. 2019), and Oak Grove Tavern (est. 2022). Candy's is actually located right next to The Ridge but both bars offer different atmospheres.

When you visit Candy's for the first time, you'll walk into a place that encompasses the woman it's named after. Austin and Johnna named their newest bar after Austin's mom, Candy Chesney. The Chesneys told the Quad-City Times,

"Candy loves great cocktails and good conversation. The environment is where great style meets good company. These components along with our décor create a brand-new vibe that the Quad-Cities has never seen before."

With a pink glow, funky décor, a wide-open patio, a glitzy cocktail menu, and a welcoming staff, Candy's will be ready to serve the Quad Cities during their normal business hours starting its grand opening weekend Dec. 6-8th. Regular hours will be:

• Monday through Thursday- 2 p.m. to 2 a.m.
• Friday - noon to 2 a.m.
• Saturday & Sunday - 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

But leading up the grand opening, they will limited hours for people to check it out.

Oh, and Candy's will actually have something that the other three bars don't have and that's food. If you're craving a pizza from Butch's out of Morton, Ill., Candy's will have them ready to go in case you get hungry.

Managing the Chesney's newest bar will be a longtime employee of theirs, Chelsey Meirhaeghe. Chelsey has been working for the couple since the early days of The Ridge and were very excited to promote her to the role of General Manager at Candy's.

Take a look inside Candy's BackBar with the photos below.