Located in Black Hawk county, Waterloo is a mid-sized city known as “The Lawn City” to locals. Residents love Waterloo for its historical sites and its quaint downtown. They get a sense of balance living in this city: it has an urban feel — a lifestyle more fast-paced than the nearby suburban areas, but not as busy as more urbanized areas.

We’ve listed four of the best restaurant contractors in Waterloo, Iowa. They were chosen for this article for their experience in the industry and the strength of their portfolios.


Peters Construction Corporation

901 Blackhawk Road, Waterloo, IA 50701

Peters Construction Corporation is a general contractor providing unparalleled dedication and a commitment to providing a wide array of services for its clients, and it’s been doing so since 1951. Its management team turns its client’s visions into reality. They deliver top-notch results through their unique ability to oversee the end-to-end construction process—from the early conceptual and designing stage and throughout the rest of the process.

At Peters, fostering a strong partnership and collaboration with each client is vital. Catering to the needs and delivering solutions is part of its tradition. The firm attributes its steady growth to its employees’ commitment to excellence over the years.

President Brad Best currently heads the firm. Brad obtained his Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from the University of Northern Iowa in 2001. He was already working at Peters Construction in 2000, and he eventually took over as president 14 years later. 


Huff Contracting, Inc.,

1310 Grandview Avenue, Waterloo, IA 50703

Huff Contracting has been a family-owned and operated business since 1964. It provides restaurant new construction and remodels, commercial construction, multi-housing construction, and other services to its clients across Iowa and the Midwest. 

For every project it handles, the firm uses a proven quality assurance process to ensure that every build meets or exceeds its rigorous requirements. Huff’s consultants meet with the client and the architect to determine the project scope and goal. After that, the estimating team comes in and ensures that every aspect of the project scope is specified clearly and appropriated the proper budget.

Huff Contracting also takes pride in being a self-performing general contractor. This feature allows the firm to better control project timelines and costs on behalf of its clients.


Hauptly Construction Company

2906 Violet Drive, Waterloo, IA 50701

Hauptly Construction Company is a design-build contractor working on the design and construction of pre-engineered buildings, on-farm grain storage systems, and commercial grain storage. It’s been in the business since 1954.

Hauptly’s primary goal is to deliver top-notch quality products and service in every project it takes on. The firm has accommodated more extensive and more sophisticated projects as a result of its ongoing commitment to expand, upgrade, and improve its design and construction capabilities.

In the sixty years it has served clients in Northeast Iowa, the Hauptly Construction Company has built strong relationships with suppliers, customers, and employees. It has served some of the most known clients in the industry, including household names like Harley Davidson, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Panera Bread. Its president, Jon Hauptly, currently leads the firm.


Cardinal Construction

1246 Martin Road, Waterloo, IA 50701

Cardinal Construction is a general construction and construction management company founded in 1895 in Waterloo, Iowa. The firm serves clients across Iowa in the industrial, senior living, commercial, healthcare, and education sectors.

For more than 127 years, the firm has successfully built a culture of integrity and trust that its employees, clients, and partners have come to depend on. Cardinal Construction is an employee-owned company where each team member is treated fairly. This respect and high regard for its employees results in a high-functioning team that is focused, experienced, and fully invested in ensuring the success of every project.

Katy Susong, the company’s President and CEO, currently leads the entire Cardinal Construction team. Before becoming the firm’s president, Katy built her expertise working for an architectural firm in the past. Her unique perspective and complex understanding of the building process allows her to carefully plan and execute projects with her team.