Junior Achievement honorees: Jim and Jodi Landau

Jim attended the University of Northern Iowa for one year before relocating to Iowa City in 1976 to manage the Iowa City Brown Bottle, where Jodi was attending the University of Iowa. They reconnected and were married in 1978. They worked together at the Iowa City Brown Bottle before relocating to Ames, Iowa, to help open another Brown Bottle location. After a few years in Ames, Iowa, in 1985 they bought the Cedar Falls Brown Bottle from Jim’s parents and welcomed their first child, Jordan. They continued to manage and evolve the Cedar Falls Brown Bottle and grow their family, welcoming two more children, Jaclyn and John.

After several successful years, and a lot of traveling to try different foods, Jim and Jodi were thinking about creating something new, and so began looking at new locations and creating a new place they’d want to frequent. In 1999, they took a chance and opened Montage on what was then a mostly vacant Main Street in downtown Cedar Falls, Iowa. The chance paid off, and the following year, they expanded Montage into the space next door. Epicure Deli quickly followed in 2001, but with the gaining popularity of Montage, they closed Epicure to expand Montage further. In 2002, Montage earned its first Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and has continued to do so each year since.

Throughout the years, Jim and Jodi have weathered several storms, such as the farm crisis, the flood of 2008 and COVID-19, with determination, hard work, and the community’s helping hands. They also continued to evolve their restaurants with an expansion to Montage in 2012, and a remodeled basement for the Cedar Falls Brown Bottle in 2020. Longtime friend and customer of Jim and Jodi’s restaurants Scott Martinson said, “My own life could be measured by celebrations at Montage or the Cedar Falls Brown Bottle. No one ever turned down a chance to go to either place for dinner or drinks.”

They did all this while also generously sharing their time and support with community organizations. Jim is a member of the Nazareth Lutheran Church, Sartori Foundation board, YMCA board, and JDRF. Jodi is a member of the Nazareth Lutheran Church, Community MainStreet board, Friends of the Gallagher Bluedorn, Junior League of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, PEO, Chapter OV, and the Cedar Falls Historical Society.

The future looks a little more relaxed because the Landaus have passed the torch and recently sold Montage to three long-time employees.

Mike Keller, one of the new owners said, “They were ahead of the curve and able to expand and grow Montage and have given us the opportunity to continue that growth.”

They continue to own and manage the Cedar Falls Brown Bottle. When they aren’t thinking about food, Jim and Jodi enjoy spending time at their home in Clear Lake, traveling, trying new foods, and spending time with friends, their children, and grandchildren.