ELDON, Iowa —
Some people waited in line for more than 2 hours in 20-degree weather in 1993 to get a loose meat sandwich at Eldon, Iowa’s newest restaurant.
But the menu at Roseanne & Tom’s Big Food Diner wasn’t the only draw. The restaurant’s owners and namesakes — actors/comedians Tom and Roseanne Arnold, were on hand to welcome the crowd.
The couple thanked their customers and signed hundreds of autographs that opening day for people who came from across the Midwest.
Tom Arnold is a native of nearby Ottumwa. He and Roseanne married in 1990 and divorced in 1994. The restaurant lasted only a little longer before closing in 1995.
The couple also were in the middle of building a 25,000-square-foot mansion near Eldon, but abandoned it when they broke up.
