T-R PHOTO BY TREVOR BABCOCK - Brother and sister duo of Rolly Danner (right) and Ashley Danner (left) are taking over one of Marshalltown’s most celebrated restaurants, MAMA DiGrado’s Pasta and Pizza.
The new owners of MAMA DiGrado’s Pasta and Pizza are ready to go public.
Longtime owners of the Marshalltown favorite for Italian cuisine Dave and Kimi Hilsabeck announced last April they had accepted an offer to buy. They were in the process of transitioning and had plans to retire from the restaurant business.
Friend of the Hilsabecks and a frequent patron, Rolly Danner, was eating at the restaurant one evening when he asked Dave Hilsabeck if rumors about him selling the restaurant were true. After further discussion, the Hilsabecks felt he was the right person to pass the torch to. Danner then decided to bring in his younger sister, Ashley, to be the manager.
Rolly and Ashley have five years of experience between them managing Godfather’s Pizza in Marshalltown before the owner passed away. He said being a farmer for a living gave him the opportunity to buy the restaurant. Ashley was a certified nursing assistant for seven years but she wanted to do something new.
“We always talk about running a business together,” Ashley said. “Even when we were at Godfather’s we talked about opening up a restaurant and now we’re taking one over instead.”
There are no plans to make changes to existing recipes or remove any menu items, only to potentially add a couple new items such as pizzas and desserts. Rolly worked out a deal to purchase the Hilsabeck’s signature Sicilian seasonings for continued use.
One change beginning June 1 will be the restaurant’s hours. Instead of closing from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. during the week, the restaurant will soon be open for the full day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays through Thursdays. On Friday and Saturday, the restaurant will now be open until 9 p.m.
Rolly said one of his motivations to buy the restaurant was to ensure the tastes and atmosphere would remain intact.
“When I first found out they were selling, I was like, ‘Oh no, another signature restaurant or store leaving Marshalltown. That’s one of my favorites,'” he said. “We’re trying to go into this transition like Dave and Kimi never left.”
Eating at MAMA DiGrado’s his entire life, he remembers the first location at the strip mall next to the Marshalltown Walmart. MAMA DiGrado’s is where he took his girlfriend on their first date.
“I know everyone is worried that things are going to change, but I want to be a part of the community and do good things for this community,” Rolly said. “I grew up here. I graduated here. I’ve watched everything over the years. I could see it needs to get better. I feel like this is an opportunity for me and my sister to help the community.”
The Hilsabeck’s relationship with their customers and employees were a big reason why the restaurant is treasured by many Marshalltown residents, Rolly said. The restaurant’s open concept, where customers can see their food being prepared and also see the faces of the employees, creates a personal atmosphere many other restaurants don’t offer, he said.
“Really it comes down to having good food and friendly service,” Rolly said. “I think that’s what Dave and Kimi have achieved over the years. It’s not something that’s been easy, but they treat their employees very well so their employees treat their restaurant very well.”
All the employees are being retained in the transition, but are hoping to hire more. Rolly said the entire staff was ready to quit once they heard the Hilsabecks were selling.
“I started talking to them and interviewing them one on one,” he said. “They started getting a good feel for me.”
Rolly knows the employees have more going on then just work, wanting their pursuits and passions beyond MAMA Digrado’s to be their priority.
As a full time farmer he won’t be around as much during planting and harvesting season, but trusts Ashley to keep the pasta coming while he’s away.
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Contact Trevor Babcock at 641-753-6611 or tbabcock@timesrepublican.com.
The Link LonkMay 26, 2021 at 05:41AM
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