Delt Stories

The Heidelberg, a family-owned restaurant, calls the University of Missouri home for more than 50 years. 

Richard Walls (University of Missouri, 1987) was born into the restaurant business. When he was younger, he would look for loose change on the office floor and started washing dishes when he was 12.

Walls’ father started The Heidelberg restaurant in 1963, and more than 50 years later, it is a staple at the University of Missouri and in the city of Columbia.

“When it originally opened, my father wanted to have a place that was more of a restaurant than just a bar. He came up with the name The Heidelberg based off of the University of Heidelberg in Germany,” Walls said.

True to its name, The Heidelberg prides itself on having a great blend of German-American food with signature dishes such as their Fried Pork Loin and German Potato Salad as well as their signature Reuben. “People who come back will often order the pork loin or the Reuben. You can’t go wrong with either of those because we have perfected them for more than 50 years.”

Going to school at Mizzou and having the family business so close to campus was comforting for Walls. “When I was was in college, I got to go in and eat breakfast there; I worked there. I could meet other people to study there. It was a home within a home of being at Mizzou, being home with my brothers–and then being at home with my Heidelberg family.”

This home still rings true for Walls even today, holding multiple alumni events at The Heidelberg. Most recently, hosting past alumni for a social hour during the dedication of Gamma Kappa’s new shelter. “We had a gathering of many Delts from many different years at the restaurant. There was lots of storytelling. I saw one of the guys who worked at The Heidelberg in the late ‘70s and he was one of the people that got me involved in Delta Tau Delta.

In August 2003, The Heidelberg caught fire and burnt the entire building to the ground with only brick walls remaining. Even though it was a challenging time, the Walls vowed to rebuild and reopen The Berg.

“It was a long and difficult for everyone, but we worked together, and it showed the true spirit of The Heidelberg,” Walls said. “It forced us to update our decision making, and we had hope that we’re going to get through it and that things were going to be better than ever, no matter the amount of time or work it took.

The Heidelberg is now owned by Richard and his brother Rusty Walls (University of Missouri, 1991). Just as their father intended, they continue offering customers German-American bar food, drinks and a cozy place to relax and hang out.

“It’s been a wonderful life. I want to keep the restaurant in business as long as humanly possible. It’s a great place to go and hang out with friends and family,” Richard said. “That’s the way we’ve done it. And it’s worked, so that’s the way we’ll continue to do it for another 50 years.”