Bella Italia Turns Ten!

Bella Italia in downtown Cape Girardeau turns ten in October, and owner Mark Dirnberger has a few plans to celebrate. From September 30th through October 5th the restaurant will surprise a diner with a free meal ten minutes after the hour for every hour the restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. During the week Bella Italia will also feature 10 pasta dishes for $10 and happy hour prices all week. The Mike Renick Band will wrap up the celebration Saturday night from 9-11 on the patio.

Dirnberger explains, "Ten years is a real milestone for any individually owned, non-franchised restaurant, and Bella has been through a lot in the last decade. We really want to show our appreciation to the community and involve the people who helped us get this far. I'm hoping we can make it a big street party if the city is able to approve that."

In March of 2005 the restaurant sustained a devastating fire. At that time Dirnberger vowed to return "even bigger and better" and reopened eight months later. Since then the restaurant has been a downtown mainstay, adding a patio, hosting numerous special occasions for the city and the public, and contributing to numerous charitable events.

Dirnberger laughs, "In the ten years we have been in business the Bella probably has donated over $100,000 back to nonprofit organizations and fundraisers; I know how important it is to help our community any way we can."

Dirnberger, a Cape Girardeau native, has been in the restaurant business for almost 39 years. He is also part owner of D'Ladiums on Broadway and has been very active in the National Restaurant Association. In December he will end his term as state President of the Missouri Restaurant Association and continue his current position as President of the Southeast Missouri Chapter. Dirnberger is a board member of the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce and has been a member since he opened Bella Italia in 2003.