Knowing that the French cuisine was unfamiliar to residents of the small town, Linda Givone said her husband eased Southwest Missourians into loving the food. The menu grew gradually. By the time the restaurant reached its 10-year anniversary, it offered more than 100 intricate French food options.

“He loved it,” said Linda Givone. She added that he liked the small-town atmosphere and the challenge of creating a new type of restaurant for the area.

Though his cooking suggested otherwise, Givone insisted he was not a chef, but a cook, said Linda Givone. No matter what title he chose to bear, he earned renown and became Missouri Restaurateur of the Year in 1989 and was the president of the Joplin Southwest Chapter of the Missouri Restaurant Association in 1990.

Givone retired in 2001 at age 71 and handed over the 22-year-old business to his daughter, Shanen. He moved to Florida with his wife, and Shanen ran the restaurant until April 2007. By the time it closed, Old Miners Inn had been in operation for almost 30 years.

In addition to his wife, Max Givone is survived by six children.

Earlier stories from The Joplin Globe archives were used to compile this report.