Cobblestone Ballroom wins federal honor after Lakeside revival project

The Cobblestone Ballroom and Event Center’s comeback in Lakeside has moved beyond preservation and into the local economy, with U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst naming the 22,000-square-foot venue the Congressional Small Business of the Week and putting its name into the Congressional Record.

Ernst presented the honor Thursday in the Mermaid room to co-owners Natalie Schumann and Jennifer Hustedt, a recognition that tied the building’s revival to jobs, visitors and new activity in Buena Vista County. The senator’s office said she plans to recognize a small business in each of Iowa’s 99 counties during the 119th Congress, making the Cobblestone part of a statewide series rather than a one-time salute.

For Lakeside, the key question is whether the attention translates into more bookings and more spending. The answer is already starting to show in the numbers. When the Cobb Tavern opened in 2023 as a bar and pizza parlor, about 200 people came through in a four-hour span. Since then, the building has hosted weddings, live music, trivia nights, proms and parties, filling a structure that had sat unused for nearly 40 years.

The Cobblestone’s roots go back to 1929 in Storm Lake, when it became known as a gathering place for celebrations and community events. The building closed abruptly on Nov. 10, 1986, then sat dark until Natalie and Nathan Schumann and Jennifer and Chad Hustedt bought and renovated the landmark in phases. The tavern opened first, followed by the ballroom and Mermaid Room in 2024. The grand reopening of the Cobblestone Ballroom was held Oct. 5, 2024.

That phased approach has turned a long-shuttered property into a multi-use destination with direct local economic value. Ernst’s office said the business has succeeded in bringing people together through its food, live events and venues, while also restoring a piece of small-town Iowa history. The project has also preserved a space with deep cultural reach: the Cobblestone was inducted into the Iowa Rock ’n Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 and has long been linked to performers including Lawrence Welk, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong.

The ceremony drew a large local audience, including Storm Lake Mayor Meg McKeon, state Sen. Lynn Evans, members of the Buena Vista County Board of Supervisors, representatives from Storm Lake United and local media. Buena Vista University media students also produced a documentary on the landmark, and BVU film crews were seen documenting the restoration, underscoring how the Cobblestone’s return has become a shared story in Lakeside and across Buena Vista County.