Open for Business: Tony's Italian Cafe & Bar

Tony’s Italian Cafe & Bar
Chef Tony Garcia opened Tony’s Italian Cafe & Bar on Feb. 8 at 2811 S. Campbell Ave. Garcia has served as a head chef since 1998 at Ristorante Teatro before opening Avanzare Italian Dining in 2002 with Agim Zendeli. Tony’s, at 2,400 square feet, seats 100, and Garcia is under a five-year lease for $4,500 a month with an option to purchase from Patrick Netthongkome Jr. The property had been vacant several months, and was previously home to Thai House, among other restaurants. Garcia, who remains a chef at Avanzare, said Tony’s menu pricing was designed to be a little more family friendly compared to Avanzare. Options start at $9, with the specialty plate, a baseball-sized meatball served over spaghetti, for $13. Tony’s was privately financed with startup costs of about $240,000. The restaurant employs 31. Hours: 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Sunday. Phone: (417) 719-4969. Web: TonysItalianCafe.com

Eagle Pawn & Jewelry
Cory Loftis and Adam Gier opened Eagle Pawn & Jewelry on Nov. 3 at 1400 W. Battlefield Road. Both owners work full time with three other employees. Gier and Loftis, who worked 10 years at his family’s Loftis Jewelry and Pawnbrokers, lease the 9,100-square-foot building from Little Zipps II LLC, of St. Louis, for five years with a five-year option. The business partners say they plan to purchase the building and open a second store. Half of the $600,000 startup costs were funded by a Hawthorn Bank loan. Loftis said Eagle Pawn focuses on retail, with sales approaching $400,000 in their first three months of operation, on items ranging from $2 used DVDs to $10,000 pieces of jewelry. Hours: 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Phone: (417) 832-3984. Web: EaglePawnAndJewelry.com

It’s Sold Auction House LLC
Amy Slentz and Sharon Gutlovics of It’s Sold Auction House LLC, 117 Highlandville Road in Highlandville, held their first auction on Feb. 2. General Manager Ray Slentz, Amy’s husband, leads a staff of one full-time and six part-time employees at the 5,250-square-foot auction house. The Slentz family owns the building and in 2006 remodeled it as a wedding and banquet reception hall, which it served as through December 2012. Gutlovics has experience in accounting and previously ran S/G Accounting & Tax Service LLC, while the Slentzes have owned various businesses, including Bombay Tan Co. in Nixa, currently. Ray Slentz said It’s Sold focuses primarily on estate auctions and conducts on-site and off-site auctions. The auction house charges 20 percent on auction sales. Hours: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday through Friday and scheduled auction times. Phone: (417) 443-0022. Web: ItsSoldAuction.com

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