DUNCOMBE — For Stumpy’s Bar & Grill, the news is mixed.

The small watering hole in this tiny Webster County town is one of the top five contenders for Iowa’s best pork tenderloin sandwich.

But this week the American Legion Post 491 that owns the building where Stumpy’s is located moved closer to evicting the business.

Bruce Wagner is the Stumpy of Stumpy’s Bar & Grill. He said Tuesday that it’s true that Post 491 American Legion post in Duncombe is trying to oust him.

Roger Snell, adjutant of Post 491, was more succinct: “He’s leaving. We don’t care where he goes, just that he goes.”

Wagner said the reason he’s being evicted is not because of money. His rent is $500 and it is up to date, he said. His business, which he started 10 years ago in the old building at 423 Main St. is an active business. Right now he’s swamped with farmers feeding the people harvesting crops in a race to beat the rain.

“It’s not business,” Wagner said. “It’s personal.”

Snell agreed. “We really don’t like him. He’s not a nice person to deal with.”

Stumpy Wagner’s daughter, Emily Wagner, who works at the place every other Saturday, said in a letter that her father needed help to keep his business ongoing in Duncombe.

She wrote: “Stumpy’s, a well-known bar and grill in Duncombe, made its first debut 10 years ago. Since then, Bruce Wagner, aka Stumpy, has always given back to the community by bringing in patrons from all over, providing employment opportunity in a small town and offering up the establishment for numerous benefits. Not only does Stumpy’s have great customer service and ice cold drinks, but it put Duncombe on the map when it was voted as one of the top five best tenderloins in Iowa.

“It has come to the attention of the community that Legion Post 491 is arduously attempting to terminate the lease without cause but stating for “personal reasons” against the owner brought by two of the Legion members. Other members voted against the decision to eradicate Stumpy’s. Many of the locals have vehemently voiced outrage at the duplicitous actions of Legion Post 491, even going as far as petitioning 200 plus signatures to keep the establishment in the community. We would be remiss to say that this is anything other than a biased based decision.

“Our efforts to keep Stumpy’s going are only as effective as the number of people we can reach with this information. Closing a successful business without cause is never advantageous to anyone.”

Post 491 wanted Stumpy’s business out by the end of August, Snell said, but that didn’t work. “We gave 30 days, the month of September. Then started the formal eviction process.”

He added: “He’s gotten the three-day notice.”

“They have no plans,” Stumpy Wagner said of Post 491. “It will be an empty building. I don’t own the building, the exhaust fan, and the furnaces. All the rest of the equipment is mine.”

“The whole town is in uproar,” he said.