Smorgasbord of restaurants open, close

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Every business lunch held at a local restaurant is a contribution to the local economy. |ret||ret||tab|

According to the National Restaurant Association, every $1 spent dining out generates more than $2.50 in business for other industries. For the more than $400 billion national restaurant industry, that equates to an economic impact of $1 trillion each year.|ret||ret||tab|

Closer to home, the Spring-field-Greene County Health Department showed 777 restaurants licensed in Springfield city limits. That's one restaurant for every approximately 195 people, based on population of 151,580.|ret||ret||tab|

Activity in the local restaurant industry has heated up in recent months. Here are a few highlights: |ret||ret||tab|

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Arde's Villa|ret||ret||tab|

Joplin restaurateur Arde Khaleghi is adding a Springfield location, something he has wanted to do for years. Arde's Villa will be located at 2620 S. Glenstone Ave. in the Brentwood Shopping Center. Khaleghi hopes to be open by mid-September.|ret||ret||tab|

Khaleghi said he is making many changes to the space that was formerly Le Mirabelle French Restaurant. The restaurant is currently under renovations.|ret||ret||tab|

Menu items will include classic French and Italian cuisine, he said, and range in price from $17 to $22.|ret||ret||tab|

Khaleghi expects to employ a staff of 15 to 20. He will retain three employees from La Mirabelle, which closed in January.|ret||ret||tab|

Arde's Villa will feature the dishes of Austrian chef Roberto Eschmalvogl, who worked in Chicago for 12 years and trained in Europe.|ret||ret||tab|

"We want to revitalize the lost art of French table-side service," called flamb, Eschmalvogl said. French flamb allows for interaction between chef and diner because final preparations of the meal are made at the table. Eschmalvogl said it's done for "absolute freshness" of the dish, and because "it's a great show."|ret||ret||tab|

Khaleghi's wife, Patricia, is designing the restaurant in an Old World style with French antiques.|ret||ret||tab|

Khaleghi has run Arde's Villa in Joplin for 15 years.|ret||ret||tab|

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Avanzare|ret||ret||tab|

Avanzare Italian Restaurant opened May 30 at 1908 S. Glenstone Ave.|ret||ret||tab|

It is a venture by co-owners Agim Zendeli, owner of Ziggie's Caf, and chef Tony Garcia.|ret||ret||tab|

Zendeli, who grew up in the restaurant business, said $170,000 was invested for equipment and remodeling to the former Metropolitan Grill space. "I always wanted to do something (upscale)," he said.|ret||ret||tab|

Avanzare serves North Tuscany style dishes featuring homemade pasta, fresh seafood and beef.|ret||ret||tab|

Garcia worked at Ristorante Teatro for the past three years, but earned most of his cooking experience at Italian restaurants in Chicago.|ret||ret||tab|

Lunch plates range from $6 to $14, while dinner dishes are $8 to $22. Avanzare is open daily 11 a.m.-10 p.m.|ret||ret||tab|

Cielito Lindo |ret||ret||tab|

Local Mexican restaurant owner Alberto Ortiz opened a third Cielito Lindo Mexicano Restaurante June 28.|ret||ret||tab|

The new location at 1325 W. Kearney St. will serve the north side of Springfield, he said. The building was formerly a Hardee's.|ret||ret||tab|

The restaurant is open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.|ret||ret||tab|

Menu items including fajitas, tamales and tacos. They range in price from $6 to $8.50, Ortiz said.|ret||ret||tab|

A native of Mexico, Ortiz began the restaurants in 1992 with his first location on South National Avenue. |ret||ret||tab|

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Colton's Steak House & Grill|ret||ret||tab|

The Texas-themed Colton's Steak House & Grill arrived in Springfield May 29. It filled the vacancy left by Amarillo Mesquite Grill at 2020 E. Independence.|ret||ret||tab|

The Colton's corporation is based in Little Rock, Ark. and has 12 restaurants, two of which are in Missouri. The second Missouri location is in Poplar Bluff.|ret||ret||tab|

"We are primarily located in Arkansas, but there are plans to expand more in Missouri," said General Manager Tiffany Tabor.|ret||ret||tab|

Tabor said Colton's features "cut em with your fork" steaks, fresh yeast rolls and shelled peanuts. |ret||ret||tab|

Plates range from $6 to $19. Colton's is open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.|ret||ret||tab|

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Thai Peppers|ret||ret||tab|

Another Thai restaurant has opened in the former location of Thai House, 1411 E. Sunshine St. Thai Peppers, owned and operated by Prayon and Ladda Nattongkum, opened June 1.|ret||ret||tab|

The Nattongkum's are originally from Bangkok, Thailand, and operated a Thai restaurant in Boston before moving to Springfield.|ret||ret||tab|

Ladda Nattongkum said they invested $30,000 to $40,000 in renovations to give the restaurant a new look.|ret||ret||tab|

"It's a good opportunity to move out to Springfield," Nattongkum said. Because costs are lower than on the East Coast, Springfield is a good place to invest in a small restaurant, Nattongkum said.|ret||ret||tab|

She said the restaurant specializes in seafood dishes including salmon, lobster and crab. Lunch plates run from $6 to $8, and dinner is between $8 and $15.|ret||ret||tab|

Thai Peppers is family-owned and operated and is open 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5 p.m.-10 p.m. daily.|ret||ret||tab|

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The Landing|ret||ret||tab|

The Landing in Ozark presents a unique dining experience to the Springfield area: a seafood buffet.|ret||ret||tab|

Owners Bruce and Gayla Gibbons opened the buffet May 7 at the junction of Highway 65 and CC.|ret||ret||tab|

While seafood including crab legs, fried shrimp, frog legs and fried oysters is the restaurant's specialty, it also offers a country buffet, said Lauren Gibbons, the owners' daughter. The home cooking features barbecue ribs and brisket, fried chicken, catfish filets and homemade casseroles.|ret||ret||tab|

The buffet also includes a dessert bar with 30 homemade treats.|ret||ret||tab|

The Landing is open 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 10:45 a.m.-9 p.m. on Sunday.|ret||ret||tab|

The lunch buffet costs $7.99, the seafood buffet is $17.99 and the country buffet is $8.99. |ret||ret||tab|

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Hamby's Steak House|ret||ret||tab|

The long-time government plaza dining establishment of Hamby's Steak House at 901 N. Boonville may have served its last meal but the facility may again be used as a restaurant, said Greene County Commissioner Dave Coonrod.|ret||ret||tab|

Greene County took ownership of the restaurant, and more importantly its property, on June 26, a couple weeks after it closed. The county acquired it because of its potential for future growth, but no plans are known. Greene County now owns three corners of the Boonville and Central intersection.|ret||ret||tab|

Immediate plans are to lease it to another restaurateur, Coonrod said.|ret||ret||tab|

"It's a good location," Coonrod said. "It makes sense to continue it as a restaurant if we can find the right person and the right mix."|ret||ret||tab|

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Mrs. O'Mealey's Cafeteria|ret||ret||tab|

The June 16 closing of Mrs. O'Mealey's Cafeteria is due in part to the presence of the American National Fish & Wildlife Museum Wonders of Wildlife, according to owner Mike Lohmeyer.|ret||ret||tab|

"Since the wildlife museum has been under construction our family has been getting a lot of phone calls because of the value of the property," Lohmeyer said. |ret||ret||tab|

Apparently they were offers Lohmeyer just couldn't refuse. "We just figured for best use of the property we needed to turn it or lease it out."|ret||ret||tab|

The family-owned 42-year-old cafeteria at 210 E. Sunshine St. closed to make way for future development, but Lohmeyer could not speculate what it might be. The land and building are under sales contract.|ret||ret||tab|

Lohmeyer said another factor in the closing was increased competition, mostly by national chains. It is a trend that began in the early 1990s, he said, and is experienced by every independent owner.|ret||ret||tab|

A friendship with former Shady Inn owner David Cook makes for an intriguing restaurant possibility down the road. But both restaurateurs are taking time off for now, he said.|ret||ret||tab|

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Repair Shop Saloon|ret||ret||tab|

Another victim of the national restaurant chain presence in Springfield is the Repair Shop Saloon, said owner Carla Martin.|ret||ret||tab|

The restaurant closed June 22 after 33 years in business due to the influx of three national chains near her restaurant at 2251 E. Kearney, she said.|ret||ret||tab|

"A locally owned restaurant just can't compete against that," Martin said.|ret||ret||tab|

"It's sad because I've seen it happen all over town. Unless you've got a huge pocket book, there's no way you can do it as an independent."|ret||ret||tab|

What kept her busy for years, she said, were the patrons from two local business headquarters: Prime Inc. and Bass Pro Shops. |ret||ret||tab|

The Repair Shop, known for its Walleye Wednesdays, was started by her husband Bob, who passed away last year. Martin said the decision to close was the hardest she's ever made.|ret||ret||tab|

Billy Long Auctioneers will auction off the restaurant equipment and supplies July 12. |ret||ret||tab|

However, Martin does plan to continue working in the food industry. Her plans are to open an Alaskan Fishermen's Market by September. She said it will be conducted through a direct partnership with fishermen in Alaska, a relationship began through the Repair Shop years ago.|ret||ret||tab|

"We will cut out the middle guy and bring in the produce to the Midwest," she said.|ret||ret||tab|

Martin said she is looking for a location for the market. |ret||ret||tab|

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