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    Meatball Mafia Owners Expanding to Dublin with Missing Jimmy’s

    Yes, Missing Jimmy’s refers to that Jimmy, Jimmy Hoffa who went missing a few years shy of half a century ago. But the legend lives on at the new Dublin bar, courtesy of the owners of Meatball Mafia.

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    Missing Jimmy’s is aiming to open later this month at 55 S. High St. in Old Dublin, the former home of Vine & Tap. The bar is another addition in Owner Robert DelliQuadri’s mission to bring a little bit of Youngstown to Columbus.

    DelliQuadri moved to Columbus in 2000 to attend OSU and noticed a lack of one particular cuisine.

    “Coming from Youngstown, you’re used to a lot of Italian food,” he says.

    What Italian food he did find wasn’t the same – the sauce was sweet; the meatballs were different. After joining the Columbus Italian Club, DelliQuadri realized he wasn’t the only Youngstown native that felt this way. And thus, in 2016, the Meatball Mafia food truck was born.

    The truck spent four years hitting the Columbus streets and nabbing honors like top spot at the Columbus Food Truck Festival in 2018, before hunkering down at a permanent location inside Center Street Market in Hilliard, 5354 Center St.

    DelliQuadri says the Market has been great for business, and those seeking Youngstown-style Italian food know where to find them. He estimates that 30% of their customers are either from the area or were directed to Meatball Mafia by someone from the area.

    With the meatballs nailed down, Missing Jimmy’s will focus on the atmosphere – recreating that family-owned, family-operated feel of bars in Youngstown. DelliQuadri says he’s been looking for a second location and the Dublin address provides just the right amount of space and in an ideal spot.

    While the area has plenty of nice bars and restaurants, “It’s missing a place to just go have a beer and a shot and watch a baseball game,” he says – a neighborhood bar type of place.

    In a ’70s-themed shell with plenty of nods to Hoffa/mafia/Youngstown (the bar’s slogan is ‘Disappear for awhile’), Missing Jimmy’s will offer 15 taps, largely domestics, along with a few other cans, wine and liquor. There’s a frozen drink machine, too, which will be reserved for frozen wine – a sipper DelliQuadri expects to be popular in the warmer months, especially for folks taking advantage of the area’s designated outdoor refreshment area (DORA) status. Being in the bounds of Dublin’s DORA was another big plus for the location for DelliQuadri.

    Missing Jimmy’s worked with Flat Black Commercial Visuals to design the space – Rendering provided by Missing Jimmy’s

    Missing Jimmy’s will feature Meatball Mafia in the kitchen. DelliQuadri says they didn’t want to call the new spot Meatball Mafia because it does have a smaller kitchen.

    “It’s more of a bar with food,” he explains.

    The menu will be very similar to Center Street – meatball subs, meatball bowls, sausage subs and pizzas (with lots of meatball or sausage options). The main change will happen in the pizza department. Instead of 12″ pan-style, Missing Jimmy’s will offer 8″ personal pizzas, a product of the space limitations in the kitchen. DelliQuadri promises the same dough, same ingredients, same pans, just a different size and cooked in a different oven.

    At 1,800 square feet, Missing Jimmy’s will seat just over 70. The bar will also be available to rent for private events.

    Missing Jimmy’s is aiming for a soft opening later this month and to be in full swing by early July. Lunchtime hours might come later, but for now the bar will be open in the evenings Wednesday through Sunday. DelliQuadri is also toying with the idea of a late night happy hour, making it a potential go-to for other industry workers in the area.

    For more information, follow Missing Jimmy’s on Facebook.

    Missing Jimmy’s worked with Flat Black Commercial Visuals to design the space – Rendering provided by Missing Jimmy’s
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    Susan Post
    Susan Post
    Susan is the editor of The Metropreneur and associate editor of Columbus Underground, and also covers small business and entrepreneurial news and the food scene in Central Ohio.Susan holds a degree in Communication with a minor in Professional Writing from The Ohio State University. She sits on the board of the Central Ohio Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and loves coffee, whiskey, cooking and spending time with friends and family.
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