One of the most profitable beer and food concessions at the Iowa State Fair is up for grabs in 2025 after the fair board decided Wednesday to discontinue a contract with its operators, a prominent Des Moines couple who failed to pay employees, vendors and a portion of concession fees after this year’s fair.

Fair CEO Jeremy Parsons said fair staff will be preparing a request for proposals for those interested in operating Steer N’ Stein, which occupies a large stand across from the administration building on the fairgrounds. It recorded more than $1.28 million in sales at this year’s fair, which ran from Aug. 3-13.

Parsons said the decision to end the annual contract with former Adventureland Resort CEO Michael Krantz and his wife Kimberly came after fair staff decided the pair failed to meet contractual obligations and operations standards as concessionaires, including maintaining good business practices.

The fair sent a letter Nov. 7 to Michael Krantz, forbidding the removal of any personal items from the fair-owned Steer N’ Stein building until the fair receives $102,000 in concession fees still due from the 2024 fair.

More: An Iowa State Fair food vendor that didn’t pay employees owes the fair more than $100,000

Parsons said in an interview after Wednesday’s fair board meeting that fair staff also would be re-examining bylaws and policies in the coming year to try to avoid similar problems with future concessionaires. Changes, he said, are likely “as the fair grows in popularity, and as food and beverage sales become more important, and money is involved.”

Steer N’ Stein operators face accusations of nonpayment

To date, the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals has received at least 14 wage claims from Steer N’ Stein employees who said they didn’t get paid, didn’t receive correct tips, or had paychecks bounce.

Steer N’ Stein reported to fair officials that it experienced an almost 5% decrease in sales this year, though the fair had record attendance. The 2024 fair drew almost 1.183 million people, 4% more than the 1.134 million it drew in 2023.

The Krantzes also are accused in a Polk County civil lawsuit of owing another $218,582 to a local business that provided them services leading up to the fair. Parsons said at least one other Steer N’ Stein contractor also has complained of not getting paid.

Michael Krantz did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. He has given several reasons for the couple’s failure to pay debts since Watchdog in an Oct. 23 column reported the wage theft allegations.

He initially said in a statement the payment failures were “beyond our control,” caused by technical flaws in his company’s payment processing system. Later, he said it had temporary cash flow problems resulting from a change in how the fair collects funds from vendors.

Spokeswoman Mindy Williamson said the fair this year gave vendors the option of paying their concession fees online using automated clearing house money transfers. The limit for automated transfers was $100,000 per day, but other forms of payment were acceptable.

In a statement last week through a law firm representing him, Krantz said he was “working diligently and quickly to assure that anyone owed money from this year’s State Fair is paid,” adding that “all outstanding obligations will be resolved very soon.”

Krantzes are former owners of Adventureland; face lawsuit in child’s death there

The Krantz family is the former owner of Adventureland, the Altoona amusement park started 50 years ago by Michael Krantz’s father, Jack. It was sold in December 2021 following fatal injury the previous July of an 11-year-old boy in an accident on the park’s Raging River Ride. The Krantzes have faced large legal bills — and potential liability — tied to a $100 million wrongful death lawsuit stemming Michael Jaramillo’s death and severe injuries to his older brother, David.

The Krantzes had been big donors to the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation, contributing more than $182,700 as patrons or bidders in silent auctions since June 2022. But according to the fair, they also have not paid an invoice for a $5,000 sponsorship table at this year’s Corndog Kickoff, a fundraiser for fairgrounds renovations.

Steer N’ Stein, which serves beer, breakfast and burgers, has been a mainstay at the fair for 53 years. It was rebuilt after burning down in 1999, when it was under the management of longtime operator George Kranovich.

Lee Rood’s Reader’s Watchdog column helps Iowans get answers and accountability from public officials, the justice system, businesses and nonprofits. Reach her at lrood@registermedia.com, at 515-284-8549, on Twitter at @leerood or on Facebook at Facebook.com/readerswatchdog.

Josh Dix lit it up with 23 points, and sophomore Seydou Traore had a very nice first game as a Hawkeye with 12 points and shot-blocking

IOWA CITY — A West African influence is looking like a very good influence for the Iowa men’s basketball program.

On the day the news came that Mali native and 6-foot-10 forward Bidara Diakite of Connecticut committed to the program as a Class of 2025 recruit, two current Iowa players of West African descent were very good in the Hawkeyes’ 96-77 win over South Dakota Tuesday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Forward Seydou Traore, a 6-7 sophomore playing his first game as a Hawkeye after missing the team’s opening two contests with a foot issue, had 12 points in 22 minutes. Soph forward Ladji Dembele had a career-high 11 points and a game-high 8 rebounds.

Traore was born and raised in New York City, but his parents came to the U.S. from the Ivory Coast, which borders Mali. Dembele was born in Mali and lived there until he was 13 when his family moved to Spain, and then New Jersey.

Another Hawkeye, freshman Chris Tadjo, lived in Mali before moving to Montreal.

With starting center Owen Freeman out with illness, Traore and Dembele helped make up for his absence. Traore blocked a pair of shots. Dembele had four offensive rebounds.

“I think they fit well into this institution and into this state,” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said of Dembele, Traore and Tadjo. “I think our style of play fits all of them, but it’s been impressive to me how easy it has been to coach those guys.

“They’re innately workers. They work, they listen, they want to do what the coach asks them to do. If anything, I try to get them to be a little more free-flowing. Just trust your talent and make plays. And you’re seeing that more with Ladji this year. And you’ll see with Chris. Seydou’s doing it already.

“I have no doubt our addition will do the same.”

Traore averaged 11.8 points last season as a freshman with Manhattan. He confidently made a couple of first-half 3-pointers.

“You can’t speed him up,” McCaffery said. “He plays at his pace.

“He makes plays for himself, but he almost appreciates making plays for other people more.

Traore said “I didn’t miss a beat” in his first practice back from what he called a tweak in his right foot. It didn’t appear he missed a beat in the game, either. One of the night’s biggest roars came when he finished a lob from Brock Harding with an authoritative dunk.

Traore was an AAU teammate of Diakite’s with the New York Lightning.

“It’s just amazing having another brother commit to the Hawkeyes,” Traore said.

Oh, Iowa’s player from western Iowa was especially good Tuesday, also. Junior guard Josh Dix of Council Bluffs made 5-of-6 three-pointers and scored 23 points.

“My teammates were really just finding me when I was open, making it easy for me,” Dix said. “I was just catching and shooting wide-open threes.”

Freeman, who had 15 points and three blocks in both of Iowa’s first two games, is expected back Friday. That’s when Iowa (3-0) plays Washington State (3-0) at Vibrant Arena in Moline, Ill., at 7:30 p.m.

Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com