Joan Bice Underwood Tearoom 100 Year Anniversary Open House

Friday, Oct. 2
3 to 5 p.m.
2302 Osborn Drive, 23A MacKay Hall (Joan Bice Underwood Tearoom)

Stop by the Tearoom 100 Year Anniversary Open House on the Friday of Homecoming Week for tours, light refreshments – including cherry pies, while supplies last – and a walk down memory lane. New LeBaron will also be open for self-guided tours. This event is open to the public.

RSVPs are appreciated.

Celebrating History, Looking Towards the Future

The Joan Bice Tearoom opened in 1926, serving the dedication luncheon for MacKay Hall’s grand opening. Iowa State’s student-run restaurant has been more than a campus tradition for more than a century. It’s a place where generations of Cyclones gained hands-on experience, built lifelong skills, and discovered the confidence to lead. What may look like a restaurant to guests is a real-world learning laboratory where students in hospitality management, event management, dietetics and culinary food science learn by doing.

From leadership and teamwork to customer service, operations, and business management, the experience prepares students not only for careers in these fields, but for the management and leadership roles that shape them. The program continues to connect classroom learning with real-world application, helping students develop the skills needed to thrive in industries such as health care, hospitality, and food service.

While much has changed over the last century, the mission remains the same: preparing the next generation of industry leaders. We invite you to reconnect with this storied program, celebrate its lasting impact, and see how it continues to transform the lives and careers of Iowa State students today.

The Beginning

The Joan Bice Underwood Tearoom has been located in the garden level of MacKay Hall since 1926. This is a copy of the MacKay dedication luncheon program, hosted in the Tearoom on June 11, 1926.

A Look Inside the Tearoom

Several years ago, STATE Day celebrated the Tearoom by catching up with students, faculty and administrators to learn more about why experiential learning is an important part of graduating career ready.