After long battle to find workers, Mario and Angela's Italian Cucina will close Friday

The Grippo family has dished their signature Italian eats at Mario and Angela's Italian Cucina to hungry Southeast Missourians for more than seven years. However, this Friday, the restaurant will permanently close its doors.

Doris Grippo co-runs the restaurant with her daughter, Angela Grippo-Freeman. Grippo said after months of staffing issues, the two had no choice but to close their restaurant at 1740 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. Its last day open is Friday.

"It's gotten so bad," Grippo said. "There's just literally no one to work."

The restaurant has operated under a skeleton crew for almost a year, Grippo added. People haven't applied to their job postings. Those who do, aren't loyal to the job and leave soon after taking it.

The Grippo family's struggle isn't unique to Mario and Angela's. The Southeast Missourian previously reported restaurants throughout the area struggled to find and keep employees.

Last month, Gov. Mike Parson halted pandemic-related federal unemployment checks after blaming the extra benefits for a statewide workforce shortage.

With such a small staff, Grippo, 61, said she and her daughter had to work 11 hours a day. They shortened the restaurant's operating hours last week, but soon found they couldn't make enough money to stay open without longer hours.

So, they made the difficult decision to close.

Dustin Tidwell places a stromboli into an oven at Mario and Angela's Italian Cucina on Wednesday in Cape Girardeau. Tidwell is a family friend of the restaurant's owners, Mario and Doris Grippo. He's worked with the restaurant on and off for four years, he said.Monica Obradovic

The Grippos have been in the restaurant business for about 50 years.

Doris Grippo met her husband, Mario Grippo, when she was 15 and he was 18 — she ordered spaghetti at a restaurant Mario owned in New Jersey. Ever since they got married three years later, the Grippos ran restaurants throughout the country — that is until this Friday.

Yet, the Grippos refuse to stay negative.

Mario Grippo already has his eyes on a space in West Park Mall. It's location would allow managing a smaller restaurant with just the family.

Since Grippo announced the restaurant's closing on its Facebook page, she said business has been booming. They lowered prices on most menu items to get rid of the restaurant's stock. Now, they have to turn off the phones because too many orders come in.

"It's like people came out of the woodwork," Grippo said. "I've never seen anything like it in my life."

The restaurant only has enough dough to make 20 strombolis, so if anyone has a craving for their food, they better come fast, Grippo said.