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April 21, 2008

New family restaurant opens in Hoopeston

BY CAROL HICKS The Commercial-News Mon Apr 21, 2008, 09:59 AM CDT

HOOPESTON — Hoopeston residents now have a new family restaurant in which to test their taste buds.

Papa’s Family Restaurant, 329 W. Main St., across from Silgan, opened its doors April 14.

“This is basically his (husband’s) dream to have his own restaurant,” said Amanda Mezo, co-owner of the restaurant. “And we were looking for a small town for the restaurant.”

The opportunity to lease a building in Hoopeston presented itself to the couple when Belly Busters restaurant closed its doors earlier this year.

Mark Mezo, a cook for more than seven years, spent the last four years in the kitchen at Benjamin’s in Covington, Ind.

He enjoys cooking and, according to his wife, has cooked since he was a young boy. Everything he cooks is prepared from scratch, she added.

Amanda also worked part time this past year at Benjamin’s as a waitress. She was kept busy with her own business, however, and worked at Benjamin’s only when needed, she said.

She owns and operates Hug-A-Bug Daycare in Covington, which has been in business for eight years.

The Mezo family of Covington, Ind., offers a selecton of seafood, dinner plates, pasta, sandwiches, salads, Italian foods, pie and ice cream, senior meals and kids’ meals on their menu.

Breakfast, according to Amanda, is served all day long for customers that enjoy breakfast anytime.

Carry outs are also available, as well as reservations in the back room for class reunions, meetings, anniversaries or other special events.

Shannon Ruh, economic development director, thought the restaurant would do well in Hoopeston.

“I was in the restaurant,” Ruh said, “and the food was very good. They have an extensive menu.”

Their goal, Amanda said, is to provide a successful and stable business with a family-friendly atmosphere; a place where everybody knows everybody, and customers can expect decent prices for a meal.

“We hope to have more family dining,” Amanda said, adding that on Fridays there is all-you-can-eat walleye and shrimp.

Other specials are offered during the week.

The couple will move to Hoopeston in the near future with their children, ages 9, 6 and 4.

EATERY HOURS

Hours for Papa’s Family Restaurant, 329 W. Main St., are from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. To contact the restaurant for carry outs, call 283-7555. There are no deliveries.

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