Former J. Parrino's waiter buys restaurant

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While J. Parrino's Pasta House & Bar is no longer owned by Jay Parrino, his influence won't fade anytime soon. |ret||ret||tab|

"He's still here about every day," said J. Parrino's new owner Ken Rigby. |ret||ret||tab|

Jay Parrino June 1 sold the nearly 20-year-old eatery in the Galleria to Rigby, a former waiter who began working at J. Parrino's in 1991. |ret||ret||tab|

"I think 17 years in the restaurant business is enough. Ken was also my business partner and owner/operator of the Parrino's in Kimberling City. We helped him get started down there, and it worked out for both of us that he could take over the restaurant in Springfield, too," Parrino said. |ret||ret||tab|

In 1996, Rigby bought the J. Parrino's in Kimberling City that he began with Parrino that year. |ret||ret||tab|

Parrino said he now visits the restaurant that bears his name as a customer to keep up his friendships with the J. Parrino's regulars whom he got to know personally during the 17 years he owned the restaurant. |ret||ret||tab|

"A lot of my customers turned into friends, so I go there to see my friends now," Parrino said.|ret||ret||tab|

Parrino said he sold the restaurant to pursue other opportunities, which he declined to elaborate on. He said Rigby, as a tenured employee who already knew the ins and outs of J. Parrino's, was the right person to take over the restaurant. |ret||ret||tab|

Parrino sold his share of the Pasta Express restaurants to his former partner in Pasta Express, Bob Ikemeier, about a year ago, and he still has interests in The Metropolitan Grill in the Plaza Shopping Center and Marketplace Caf on National, Rigby said. |ret||ret||tab|

Parrino's protg said he has no major changes planned for the restaurant.|ret||ret||tab|

"The menu's going to change just a bit, but we're still going to stay pretty true to (Parrino)," Rigby said. "We're going to keep a lot of the same ideas here, but maybe kick it up a notch. I think people need to rediscover this place."|ret||ret||tab|

Rigby said the inside of the restaurant was recently repainted and improvements were made to the bar area. |ret||ret||tab|

Several wines and a martini list were added, and outdoor seating will be added.|ret||ret||tab|

"We're going to open up the old entrance so people don't have to walk through the bar to get to the restaurant and get some entertainment in here on Friday and Saturday nights. Jay had a jazz trio that performed in here Sundays I thought I'd try to get that back," Rigby said. "We're also starting a wine tasting on Fridays. We're trying to appeal to the ladies a little bit, you know?"|ret||ret||tab|

Another longtime J. Parrino's employee, front-of-the-house manager Paul Epps, said he was pleased that Rigby is the new owner.|ret||ret||tab|

"I loved working for Jay, but he was ready to move on ... I worked with Ken when we were waiters at J. Parrino's together years ago, and he's a fantastic boss," Epps said. "Working your way up is kind of a tradition here Jay started out in the restaurant business as a busboy, then became a waiter, then a cook, and eventually opened J. Parrino's. Neither owner looked at this place as just a business venture maybe that's why we do so well here."[[In-content Ad]]