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Photo by Megan McGuire
Along with their dine-in and breakfast menus, Sweet Taste of Italy has a takeout menu to order meals to go. Customers can take advantage of this and get full family sized Italian dishes to go, for a quick, well-cooked meal. "It's really convenient to be able to order ahead and just go and pick up your food. They make it really quick and the location is close so you don't have to drive far to pick up some warm Italian food for dinner," said sophomore Mason Bartosh.

Stillwater is no stranger to new and exciting restaurants popping up all over town. The newest of these restaurants, Sweet Taste of Italy, provides favorites like spaghetti, lasagna and chicken alfredo, along with options that attract a wide array of customers.

This new Italian eatery, located at the Valley Ridge Mall, recently opened and provides dine in and takeout options for customers. Although the store is young, it holds the impressive schedule of Monday to Saturday, from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and plans to be open on Sundays soon. Sweet Taste of Italy first opened its doors on Feb. 25, and co-owner Michele Monson is optimistic to the future of the new business and the opportunities that the Stillwater community may provide.

“My husband is from Stillwater and we wanted to raise our family here in this community, it’s just a really great community to bring your family up in. We have a lot of family and friends out here,” Monson said.

Junior Micheala Danielson, who has been working for the business since it opened about one month ago says that the work environment is friendly and welcoming to the staff and customers alike.

“It’s really fun, the family is really inviting and I like working there,” Danielson said.

Junior Shelby Zeuli believes that the new restaurant will appeal to a greater audience because Sweet Taste of Italy provides a new dining option that includes gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options.

“I don’t think there’s ever going to be too many restaurants [in Stillwater]. I like that there’s a variety of options to choose from,” Zeuli said.

Sweet Taste of Italy is a great new addition to the area and brings classic Italian dishes to customers in a comfortable environment that will make one feel like they are at home.

“It’s kind of more home-style cooking, were not a fancy, upscale type of Italian so we make our own sauce, we make our own bread, the meatballs are homemade, we do a lot of other items on the menu that are homemade so it’s just all the kinds of traditional, classic Italian, spaghetti, ravioli, lasagna, pizzas, sandwiches,” Monson said.

Along with the classic Italian dishes, this new restaurant offers choices for individuals with special dietary needs.

“We have a brown rice penne pasta that we use for gluten-free, so it’s just one type of noodle that’s gluten free, and there are other items on the menu that get as far as vegetarian and vegan options as well,” Monson explained.

Though Zeuli has yet to visit the store, she believes that having a wider array of options for customers will benefit the business as it grows and that variety will hopefully draw in more people.

“It will bring in more people and it caters to a larger audience,” Zeuli said.

With additional options to their menu and being new to the community, it is easy to imagine that there is a big commitment of time and effort to perform daily and provide food that will have customers coming back for more.

“When you own a business, the business owns you, you don’t own the business. It’s a lot of hours, I think that would be the biggest disadvantage, the amount of time that you have to put into it,” Monson explained.

As she settles into the schedule, Monson believes that the task of running a restaurant becomes easier to manage and will continue to be easier as the staff and the public become more acquainted with the business.

“It’s very rewarding on a different level, and I think that once you’re established, you get a little bit of flexibility, so you have a little bit more freedom, once you’ve got certain key employees in place and you’ve got things running smoothly then you have the ability to have a little freedom,” Monson said.

Along with providing a new option to the public, Sweet Taste of Italy is a cheaper alternatative for those who are looking for classic pasta dishes, pizza and more without breaking their wallets.

“It’s affordable and whenever you go there, you’ll feel at home,” Danielson said.

This great new addition to the community provides customers with a comfortable environment and as the name clearly states, a Sweet Taste of Italy.