Towne Grill has offered a good greasy spoon to customers for more than 70 years, and this Jefferson City classic will live on under new ownership - with a few changes on the way.
After taking over Towne Grill last week, Matt and Rachel Bullock hit the ground running, offering new lunch specials and making some changes to the diner.
Matt isn't a stranger at Towne Grill, 315 Jefferson St. He helped host at the diner over the summer and even worked the grill for a few weeks.
Matt started in the restaurant business when he was 15 years old, making omelets and waffles for brunches. Now, 25 years later - after working as a chef in various restaurants, hotels and convention centers - Matt said he is going back to his "roots."
"Even when we heard there might be this potential, I could see the stars in his eyes," Rachel said, smiling at her husband.
That giddiness quickly spread to Rachel, Matt chimed in.
"She has more ideas for specials than I do. Every night she's like, 'We should do this and get this,'" he joked.
The Bullocks want to keep many integral parts of Towne Grill the same, from the classic black-and-white tile and red barstool diner look to its signature coffee and food.
Yes, that includes the diner's popular brain sandwich.
"The stuff people have been coming to Towne Grill for generations and has tasted the same for decades and decades must stay the same, or else that would be horrible for business," Matt said.
The well-known grammatical error in the diner's slogan - "Food at it's best" - will also remain the same, the Bullocks said.
However, they want to offer more lunch specials, such as soup and sandwich deals or "Taco Tuesdays." Matt also plans to fulfill some customers' requests, like bringing back the fish sandwich as a special offer.
"For the people that have been customers here for a long time, we want to make sure we honor them, but we also want to make sure we're bringing in people who haven't had that opportunity to go," Rachel said.
The Bullocks also plan to cater private parties and events at Towne Grill in the evening.
Along with revamping the seating in the waiting area, the new owners plan to add a tribute to their regular customers to a section of the wall. Every month, customers can help select the "Towne Griller of the Month," who will receive Towne Grill goodies and have his or her photo placed on the wall.
Towne Grill will host "Coffee with Matt" on Nov. 1, where customers can come in for a free cup of coffee and meet the Bullocks and their family.
The Bullocks plan to hold a grand reopening next month but have not set a date yet.
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