Fletcher Ford's Modern Motor Row Engine

Fire-Damaged Barrel House Pub to Reopen with New Ownership Guided by Multimedia Radio Marketing and Technology Partners

Waiting for the elevator inside the south entrance lobby to the first-floor Barrel House pub currently being renovated in downtown Davenport, one is greeted by semi-finished renovations and a large flat screen showcasing over a dozen tenants' brands with a presence in the three-story building.

Stepping into the third floor lobby of the former Paragon Commercial Interiors offices on East Second Street in Bucktown's Motor Row district in downtown Davenport, visitors now enter Fletcher Ford’s media and technology operations' nerve center. Ford, who acquired the three-story brick building in December 2025 that he has moved his various businesses into over this year, is a Quad Cities businessman, longtime broadcaster, software entrepreneur, and real estate investor.

The loft style top floor is painted in a deep, soothing, gray-blue tone with polished original wood floor planks beneath high exposed ceilings. The 3,000-plus square foot third floor includes a Mississippi River view overtop the roof of its neighbor Front Street Brewery. Ford's most recent projecct that unexpectedly inspired him to acquire the downtown Davenport Barrel House franchisee is also the workspace hub for local and worldwide internet and radio broadcasting, radio and digital content creators' business and marketing software engineering and services, and its corporate management. Before beginning his longtime career in broadcasting, Ford grew a single wireless retail store into an operation of more than 30 locations, becoming one of the largest wireless operations in the Midwest.

Ford's fuel for this modern Motor Row engine is Workflow Corporation, the decade-proven business, advertising, content generation, streaming, and target marketing global software and technology company. He and his Australian partner Shane Zammit serve more than 1,000 radio-stations worldwide. Ford also owns Davenport's own Planet 93.9 FM and 18 other small-market rural FM and AM radio stations in Iowa and Hawaii and western Illinois. The Planet's studios here have been engineered by Ford's son Cameron Ford, and are operated by on-air personalities Dave Levora and Darren Pitra, calling themselves “Real Alternative Radio” since 2020. Levora commented that the Reader's movie critic and arts editor Mike Schulz has been doing nearly weekly broadcasts with he and Darren for more than 20 years, covering the movies and the movie industry. (Listen to Levora/Pitra/Schulz on the movies weekly at RCReader.com/podcast.)

We Can Control Marketing & The Guest Experience

For Ford, the real story of this unplanned building renovation isn't only about office space or broadcasting equipment. It’s about how leveraging a growing new media and technology workforce with a proven pub franchise can further drive a downtown's revitalization.

When asked about the unique combination of running active media operations upstairs and a restaurant/bar downstairs, Ford points straight to what keeps a restaurant alive: marketing. "How many restaurants in downtown Davenport own a media company?" Ford asks, highlighting his distinct competitive edge. "What's the number one thing that drives traffic in a restaurant? Marketing. Word of mouth and advertising. We're focused on the guest experience, and we're focused on marketing, and those are the two things that we can control."

That approach was key when he bought the damaged building and started restoring the Barrel House. After a basement ice-maker machine fire caused severe smoke and water damage just 24 hours before Ford was set to close on the building – one week prior to Christmas – he faced a steep half-million-dollar capital-gains tax penalty if he walked away from this $690,000 commercial real estate investment. Leaving dozens of incoming staff and crew members in limbo just as the holidays hit, the disaster could have easily killed the project. Instead of backing down, he finalized the purchase and launched a close-to-$2-million restoration project.

The Original Barrel House Founder & Location 

With kitchen renovations and the new walk-in cooler setup nearing completion, Ford anticipates reopening the Barrel House before Christmas, bringing the first Barrel House location back to life.

“I didn’t buy the building because I wanted to get into the restaurant business,” Ford said. “Barrel House was already here. Jimmy Holt had built a successful brand, and it was an important part of the building. As our investment in the property grew, I started looking at the restaurant differently. The opportunity to become part of Barrel House – especially at the location where Jimmy started it all – became something I got genuinely excited about.”

Ford said respecting what Holt and his team created is central to his plans. “Jimmy is the guy who had the vision for Barrel House and built the brand,” Ford said. “ The downtown restaurant will remain part of the Barrel House system, retaining the established brand, menu, and identity while receiving significant new investment in the space, technology, sports viewing, entertainment, and overall guest experience.

Barrel House continues to expand beyond its Quad Cities roots through a growing franchise system, with locations reaching new markets including: Bloomington, Illinois; Frisco, Texas; and Richmond, Virginia. Ford said becoming part of a Davenport-born brand that is expanding into new markets was another attractive part of the opportunity.

Barrel House founder Holt said Ford’s proven track record makes him excited about what comes next. “Downtown Davenport is where Barrel House started, and this location will always be special to me,” Holt said. “I’m incredibly proud of what we built there and what Barrel House has become. Fletcher doesn’t think small. When he believes in something, he goes all in. I know he’ll respect the Barrel House brand while bringing his own energy, investment and ideas to this location. I’m excited to have Fletcher and his family become part of the Barrel House family and excited to see what they do with the original location.”

Competition Breeds Success All Around 

All that work is already paying off for neighboring businesses on the block. When asked how bringing additional office, software, and broadcast workers onto Second Street will impact local businesses, Ford notes that his team is ready to support the local dining scene. "They're all hungry, and they all eat," Ford says, noting that staff and returning crew members are also eager to visit the many nearby downtown restaurants and brewpubs.

Upon reopening, the Barrel House is expected to employ 35 to 40 people. Combined with the 25 daily personnel working across the radio and software divisions upstairs, the property will add steady, reliable, and daily foot traffic to downtown Davenport. Furthermore, Ford is doubling the size of the outdoor patio space – wrapping it around the back of the building with outdoor seating, TVs, and custom features that open the property toward the rear alleyway and celebrate the historic Motor Row designation.

When it comes to bringing more business to Second Street, Ford doesn't worry about nearby competition – in fact, he welcomes it. "Competition breeds success all around," Ford emphasizes, pointing to adjacent private investments such as the Last Picture House and Half Nelson restaurant. Rather than viewing neighboring businesses as rivals, he sees them as essential components of a thriving, interconnected neighborhood where visitors have multiple reasons to stay downtown longer.

After touring the third-floor broadcast suites – where veteran staff members such as Sean Fernand record audio shows that get broadcast out to radio stations across the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand using the Rev Buddy platform—Ford leads the way down the elevator to the second floor. Stepping onto the middle level, the distinct scent of fresh paint and new carpet signals that construction crews are putting the final touches on the second floor restoration.

The second floor houses World Relief, a humanitarian organization that provides resettlement services, English classes, employment assistance, and legal aid to refugees and immigrants integrating into the Quad Cities community. By maintaining non-profit and community-focused organizations right alongside commercial tech and media firms, the building serves a dual purpose: fueling the local economy while giving new residents hands-on help with jobs, language classes, and legal services.

Walking through the facility – from live FM broadcasting studios, a conference room wired for podcast recordings, to his attention to detail on this renovation's fit and finish – it’s clear that Ford stays directly involved in every part of the operation. Whether he’s writing code in-house instead of outsourcing to vulnerable overseas or personally walking the building to check on contractors, his investment is driven by local skin in the game.