 |
The moment is finally here…well
it WILL be here, officially on Tuesday, November 15th. Mario’s
Sports Bar and Grill will finally open in Creston, Iowa!
I could not be happier or
more proud of my brother, Mario and his business associate, Austin.
 |
| Austin (left) & Mario (right) |
It reminds me of our high
school days when I was a wrestling cheerleader and I was one of my brother’s biggest
fans. But now, this isn’t high school and this isn’t wrestling…it’s real life
and yet I’m still in awe of his amazing work ethic and ability to wear a smile
no matter what. He is an incredible brother, son, uncle and most importantly,
DAD!
 |
| Mario and I |
Anyway-back to this grand
opening thing…let me introduce you to the Owner, Mario Galanakis and General Manager,
Austin Swagel.
Mario, is of course, from
Greenfield, Iowa, graduated high school from Nodaway Valley and then from the
University of Iowa…where he also wrestled. Mario grew up in the restaurant
business where he started cooking, waiting tables and washing dishes at just
the young age of 10. How is that legal you ask? Well, apparently you didn’t grow
up with parents who ran a Greek restaurant; The Old Hotel (now called the Olive
Branch) in Greenfield, Iowa.
Not that they mistreated us,
no, everyone just works together…like a family. We wanted to be there. It was
our home, daycare and business. The whole establishment is a team effort…which
is just what Mario and Austin plan to do with their sports bar and grill.
“I waited tables, I cooked, I
bussed, I did a lot of dishes, so I’ve seen it all and have done it all. Having
that experience meant a lot and a lot of people never had it when trying something
like this.” Mario said, “I was really lucky that mom and dad taught us to
always earn what you get…ya gotta work for it.”
So, how did two best friends
who lived states away from each other decide to open a business you ask? Well
from the very two things that brought them together in the first place…a
restaurant and sports. Austin [also a graduate of Nodaway Valley] worked at our
parent’s restaurant in high school and he was no stranger to the sports events
that were constantly taking place at the “Galanakis Ranch.”
“Our vision for this place is
sports. At the end of the day, everything we do, whether it’s volleyball in the
back yard, playing cards or ping pong at 6am all night long, it was always about
sports or some competition.” Austin said. “Growing up, working in the Old Hotel
under John and Joni, customer service was always a top priority and the overall
customer experience.”
So why would someone leave a
nice, corporate job to run a restaurant/bar in small town Iowa? For nothing more
than the good ole’ call of entrepreneurship, well and friendship, of course. It’s
true what they say “hard times always reveal true friends.” And instead of
allowing a few setbacks in his life to break him, Mario decided to do something
he’d always wanted to do, open a restaurant.
“I’ve always wanted to do
this but being that I worked on the railroad and made good money for my family,
that’s just what I did.” Mario said.
 |
| Mario Galanakis - owner |
After the two would talk back
and forth about how they were tired of their jobs, it just clicked to them-let’s
do this…it’s now or never. Just like in sports, you just try your best and go
for it.
“I knew I needed someone to
help, being that I had the girls and I wanted someone I could trust and rely on
and someone who was responsible. Whenever Austin and I would talk, we'd talk about his job and about how it was getting too easy and that he wanted another challenge. Well, what is a better challenge than running your own business?” Mario said.
So here they are…
Mario’s Sports Bar and Grill plans
to be open:
Sunday-Thursday 11am-10pm
Friday-Sat 11am-2am
And what kind of food can you
expect to be served? Well for starters, they will offer the same infamous “Super
Salads” and “Gyros” that the Olive Branch in Greenfield offers along with the
classic salads, wings, sandwiches, burgers and more.
“We’re just excited to bring
something different to the community. There’s a lot of people I’ve talked to
that have said Creston has needed something like this for a long time and I’ve always
thought that too.” Mario said.
The difference is that Mario’s
Sports Bar and Grill features 15 flat screen tvs, two pool tables, a juke box,
foosball and shuffleboard is on the way! They also plan to offer events such as
trivia games and “The Walking Dead” and “Game of Thrones” night.
“Our atmosphere is different.
There’s nowhere else to go like this with your family, friends or whoever. Come
in, sit down, enjoy a good meal with entertainment.” Mario said.
So if you’re looking for
something fun to do and grab a great bite to eat, you know where to go! Also
don’t forget that they are still hiring…so feel free to ask for an application.
To stay updated with them, be
sure to check out their Facebook Page:
Questions: Call
(641) 278-1427 or Email mariossportsbarandgrill@gmail.com
So proud of you Mario and
Austin…we wish you so much success. And thank you to everyone who has helped
them so much…mom, dad, our brothers, my husband, friends and anyone else-I know
they have appreciated it. I also have to give a shout out to my husband, he designed the logo and various artwork you see featured through out the bar/restaurant. Can't wait to show you all the mural he painted inside as well!
And don’t forget, it’s a
FAMILY restaurant, so bring the kids. Trust me, how else do you think I was
able to write this post and be a work from home mom!? I can’t promise
your kids will get to ride the bus cart like mine did, but they will have fun!
 |
| Uncle Mario with our littles |
