After a great deal of preparation, time, effort and renovation, a new restaurant officially opened in Pleasant Hill on Sept. 2.

Mugsy’s resides in the building that housed two previous restaurants, Okoboji Grill and Copper Kitchen. Located by Copper Creek Lake, the restaurant is in a great location. This new restaurant is locally owned and not part of any franchise.

In October, my wife and I stopped in for dinner and it was an opportunity for me to check out the place. The next week I set up a time to meet with the owner, Ron Burkle.

Ron has been the owner of the building for the last 10 years and is new to the restaurant business which means the new venture is an opportunity for learning, refining and innovation.

Opening a business is a challenge and especially during this time of labor shortages and shipping delays only adds to the difficulty.

To get to know more about how Mugsy’s came to be, I asked Ron a few questions:

How did you come up with the name, Mugsy’s? Why locate in the Pleasant Hill area?

I was looking for a unique name. Since we serve our beer in mugs, Mugsy’s seemed to fit. Being the building owner provided the location. Also, I wanted to stay in the area to provide a dining option for not only Pleasant Hill but surrounding areas.

What were some of the issues you encountered during the initial start-up?

The building needed a complete revamp, updating and compliance to ADA accessibility requirements. Walking into the restaurant you can see new carpeting along with painting and cleaning. A big job was the old grease traps needed to be replaced. Some other delays in opening was my goal of buying equipment that was made in the USA.

Was obtaining help and staff an issue?

To secure the proper staff there was a change in hiring routines and practices since the restaurant wishes to provide excellent customer service.

What are the specialties on the menu?

Pizza. We also offer burgers. In the future we will add an expanded pizza menu, add wings, offer daily specials, and provide a Happy Hour. In addition, at times customers will have an opportunity for taste-testing new items.

There are plans to have patio dining (in the) spring and summer. I am looking at the possibility of hosting car shows, providing lunch time dining, bringing in beers that were popular in the past. Primary to the business is to initiate innovative customer service programs such as providing lights at each table which can be turned on for any of the customer needs. Our restaurant will continue to provide a friendly atmosphere for families and customers of all ages. It will be our goal to connect with our customers on a personal basis.

My thoughts after our initial dining experience − fast service, good food and excellent surroundings all are appreciated. Each waiter/waitress has a handheld unit that speeds up ordering and provides the customer with checkout at their table (electronically). After talking with Ron, I know customer service is a primary goal of this restaurant. I am looking forward to seeing continued improvement and innovations in this new restaurant in Pleasant Hill.

Thanks for your time, Ron, and best wishes for you and your staff.

Stephen Taylor is a Pleasant Hill resident and retired minister.