By Kathy A. Bolten | Senior Staff Writer

First there was the Cajun/Creole-themed eatery. Then came establishments with nods to England, Germany and Belgium.

Now a Des Moines restaurant group wants to salute Scandinavia with a Viking-themed restaurant and bar aptly named Skøl, which is Scandanavian for "cheers."

The restaurant and bar will be in a concrete-block building located at 401 S.E. Fifth St. The building formerly was the home of Mad Meatball which closed earlier this year.

Jeff Bruning of the restaurant group Full Court Press, said he’s been mulling the concept of an establishment with a Viking them for about 18 months. "With the popularity of ‘Game of Thrones’ it seemed like a good idea," he said.

The building, owned by Christensen Development, LLC, is being remodeled to include a wood exterior and a small edition to accommodate coolers, Bruning said. The front of the building, which faces Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, will feature wood shakes that will cover much of the exterior wall.

Skøl’s menu will include several varieties of roasted meats, some of which will be made into street tacos, Bruning said. Also included will be smoked salmon.

Brown-colored liquors will also be featured, including several varieties of whiskey, rum, Scotch  and bourbon. Numerous varieties of beer will be available as will ciders and meads. Vikings drank mead – a sweet, fermented beverage made from honey, water, spices and sometimes, fruits – during celebrations, according to the National Museum of Denmark.

Bruning said he’s been surprised by the number of Des Moines-area residents whose background has ties to Denmark, Sweden and Norway. "After I thought about, it made more sense," he said. "We’ve got Grand View [University] who are the Vikings and a lot of people who live around [the campus in northeast Des Moines] have a Swedish or Nordic background."

Skøl will be among several themed establishments Full Court Press operates in the Des Moines-area. Hessen Haus gives a nod to Germany with 50 imported German biers and dishes; The Royal Mile to England with English beers, foods and Scotch; The Red Monk to Belgium with about 90 Belgium-style beers; and The Iowa Taproom to Iowa with more than 90 Iowa craft beers.

Bruning hopes Skøl will open in late July.

By Kathy A. Bolten | Senior Staff Writer

Construction is moving forward on a $7.4 million, two-story 28,000-square-foot facility that will house Blank Children’s Hospital’s STAR and Developmental centers.

The West Des Moines City Council, in a 3-0 vote on Monday, approved the project’s site plan.

This is the first time in Blank’s 75-year history that the hospital has operated a free-standing facility. The medical facility will be located on 2 acres at 4055 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines.

Carlos O’Kelly’s restaurant previously was located on the site. It closed in 2014; the building was demolished in August 2018, according to city documents.

Central Iowa Hospital Corp., parent company of Blank Children’s Hospital, bought the land in April for $400,000, Polk County Assessor records show.

Blank’s STAR Center cares for children who have been victims of abuse, exposed to drugs, are in the foster system, or need extra support. The Developmental Center provides diagnosis and treatment for children with developmental, behavioral and physical conditions such as autism or Down syndrome.

Both programs are growing and need additional space to serve clients, according to a spokesperson. Additional positions will be created at the centers so that more children can be served.

The new facility, which will be near the interstate system, will be easily accessible to patients and their families, the spokesperson said.

Construction is expected to be completed by early 2020. Edge Construction is the project’s general contractor.