Wally Kennedy: Economy doesn’t deter restauranteur

A new restaurant, The Golden Flame, is opening in the former Ziggie’s Cafe location at La Quinta Inn on South Range Line Road. Work to get this restaurant in operation is in full swing. It could open this week.

Tim Ramo, who is from the Chicago area, is opening the restaurant. It will feature a mixture of American, Mexican and Greek food. Greek is on the menu because Ramo’s family hails from Macedonia.

Ramo, as of last week, was still tweaking the menu to make sure selections and prices would be competitive in the Joplin market. He is not deterred by the state of the economy, which has created difficulties for the restaurant industry overall. Generally, people are eating out less than they were and are spending less when they do. That’s why it’s so important for Ramo to get his menu right.

The restaurant will compete with the Waffle House, Denny’s and other breakfast providers in that something can be ordered from the breakfast portion of the menu at any time. That could prove to be an important option for the local breakfast crowd. Ramo also plans to offer daily specials.

The restaurant includes a large dining area that Ramo plans to convert into a separate bar with big-screen TVs. He wants to stage a New Year’s Eve party there.

Ramo said he and his family have more than 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry in the Chicago area. He said he knows that consistently good food and good service are the keys to success, and that’s what he intends to deliver.

Ziggie’s Cafe survived for about six months before it closed up shop. It’s hard to say what went wrong there. I liked Ziggie’s food, but the service was sometimes spotty. In this market at this time, you’ve got to meet or beat what your competitors are doing to stay in the game.

That includes everything from clean forks, knives and spoons, to the smile on the face of your server when you place your order. This is not rocket science, folks.

Pet store opening

Petsway, the new store in the Range Line Marketplace at 24th Street, should be open early next week. Expect to see some specials in connection with the opening.

Opal Ryans, manager, said the shop will have dogs, cats, small reptiles, freshwater fish and birds for sale. All kinds of pet supplies, including a variety of pet foods, will be available.

Ryans said Petsway is connected to the Pet Warehouse on West Seventh Street, but that Petsway is a totally new concept for the company. The store’s opening will create seven new jobs.

New alliance

The Southwest Missouri Lodging Association and its membership have joined the Missouri Hotel & Lodging Association. What this means is that lodging in Southwest Missouri will have a greater presence at the state and national levels.

Pete Hall, president of the regional group, said the group welcomes the “opportunities that our new partnership with the state association provides our local membership, and looks forward to being a contributing partner in the development of the lodging and tourism industry in our great state.”