Dixon’s Mama Cimino’s purchased by local couple opening restaurant

DIXON — A Dixon favorite, Mama Cimino’s, will close its doors for good at the end of September to make way for Lena’s Social Club, a new restaurant and bar.

Mama Cimino’s, at 104 Peoria Ave. in Dixon, has been run by owner Jim Gallentine for about 25 years. On Sept. 30, new owners Heather and Greg Huffman will officially take over and complete renovations of the building through October.

Before Lena’s opens to the public Nov. 2, the Huffmans will be honoring all Booster Club commitments that Mama Cimino’s has made, but they will not be serving the general public in October, Heather said in an interview with Shaw Local.

The new restaurant and bar will offer a south of the border menu as well as pizza, pastas and desserts. It also will serve brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Heather and Greg are currently working to finalize the restaurant’s menu by working with chefs in Chicago and Milwaukee.

“We’re investing a lot into the renovations and we are really excited about it,” Heather said.

They’re converting the original side of Mama Cimino’s into an area that’s geared towards those who are 21 and older. There they plan on showing the NFL Sunday Ticket games “to really draw that crowd in there,” she said.

The main dining room is going to be more family friendly and will feature a kid and teen-friendly game room. They’ll also be updating the banquet hall to make it into a good spot for groups to meet or people to host their own parties, she said.

That banquet hall “happens to be where Greg and I had our wedding rehearsal dinner 12 years ago in August, and we had no idea that one day we would be opening up a restaurant there,” Heather said.

With the restaurant’s theme focusing on Dixon’s history and culture, she said “we’re going to try to restore as much historical integrity as we can.”

They plan on celebrating the history of Ronald Reagan, Dixon High School and more.

Both Heather and Greg grew up in Dixon. Until recently, they were living in Kansas City and working in the corporate world. After coming back to Dixon to visit friends they realized they really missed the community, she said.

Greg has around 25 years of experience in the restaurant industry.

They each have a very strong faith and “had been feeling God calling us to leave our jobs and move back home to serve our community,” Heather said. “That’s really what our restaurant is going to be all about – service.”

They plan on offering discounts for first responders, healthcare workers, veterans and educators. “We really made sure that we’re taking care of the people who take care of our community,” she said.

With their management team in place, they’re currently interviewing for bartenders, line cooks, servers, hostesses, cocktail waitresses, delivery drivers and banquet and catering staff. To apply, email lenasdixon@gmail.com.

For information visit Lena’s on Facebook or mamaciminosdixon.com.