The Bandolis Are Back With Another Great Restaurant

The Minneola Grill The husband and wife restaurant team of Jim and Carreen Bandoli are  back with a new restaurant in a familiar place. The Minneola Grill  recently opened for business in Minneola at the corner of Hwy 27 and  Washington Avenue (352-394-2555). The restaurant is once again a main  hub of activity and residents are enjoying great cooking in a family  atmosphere. The Bandoli name is a familiar one for many Clermont and  Minneola restaurant goers, having previously operated Cafe Bandoli at  the same location several years ago.

Ready for a break from the rigorous demands of running a successful  restaurant while also balancing life as parents to their three  daughters, Jim and Carreen agreed to sell the Cafe Bandoli brand and  leased the building to another party for a period of five years. Fully rested, and with the building lease not renewed, the pair  determined the time was right for development of another successful  brand.

"We're so happy to be back with a new restaurant. So many of our  regulars from Cafe Bandoli are coming back and we're thrilled to  keep meeting so many new customers too," commented Carreen. "We  basically gutted the inside of the building and installed everything  new, from the spoons to the tables and chairs to every single piece  of equipment in the kitchen," added Jim.

When asked about the origins of the new name, Mrs. Bandoli replied,  "It really couldn't have been anything else. Our first restaurant  was named after us, now this one is named after the town it's in.  It's perfect!"

In an effort to pay homage to past owners of the restaurant, the  Bandolis decided to share the great history of the building with all  of their customers. The interior walls are adorned with pictures,  menus and newspaper clippings chronicling the many different tenants  who have occupied the building dating back to construction in 1942. 

Although many things have changed with the restaurant, the Bandolis  remain vigilant in their quest to provide an extensive variety of  great tasting food at affordable prices.

A cornerstone of the Bandoli's menu has always been the daily  specials. "Jim and I have always offered daily specials. People need  a good meal at a reasonable price and you can't go wrong at $2.99  for breakfast and $4.99 for lunch," explained Carreen. The daily  breakfast special offers two eggs with the choice of two side items  for $2.99. "We knew our customers wanted to see potato cakes back on  the menu and judging from how many go out of the kitchen every  morning, our breakfast customers still like them as much as ever,"  explained Jim.

The restaurant also offers an extensive lunch menu served Monday  through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. The lunch menu offers a  wide range of options to fit everyone's needs and price ranges.  Options range from egg salad sandwiches and hamburgers to pastas and  dinners of meatloaf to pork chops. The menu is finished with a daily  offering of homemade desserts such as chocolate cream cake, carrot  cake and peanut butter pie. In an effort to appeal to families, the  Minneola Grill offers free lunch and dinner for kids 10 and under  with the purchase of an adult meal.

"We're thrilled to be back and are having a great time reuniting  with our regulars and staff members! So many familiar faces who care  about the success of this little hometown restaurant! Our staff is  working hard to offer a level of dining experience we'd like to  receive when we go out, while adding the special little touches of a  family owned restaurant. I think this comes through in the quality of  the food and the service we offer," added Carreen, "and knowing  our customers by name!"

The Minneola Grill is located at 117 W. Washington Street - on the  corner of Hwy 27 and Washington Street. If you would like to view  their great menus, visit them online at www.minneolagrill.com. For  questions or to place carry out orders, call 352-394-2555.