How Garden Kettle is giving lunchtime a makeover
Stacey and Joe Rzonsa are reviving the lunch scene with their latest business venture, the Garden Kettle.
The restaurant is located at 8049 Market Street, Suite 1 in Boardman.
It promises healthy and hearty meals for every taste bud.
A family affair in the food business
The duo has over 20 years of experience in the restaurant and catering business.
They say their latest project merges their love for serving quality eats and personalized customer experiences.
“This was more of a passion project for us. He[Joe] has Blue Wolf [Tavern], which he’s owned and operated for over 20 years. I’ve done the events for [about] 10 - 12 [years], which was sort of a meeting of the minds… We didn’t need to open this restaurant. We wanted to,” Stacey explains, “We saw the void in the market, and it was very much needed.”
Like many, the pair noticed no central location that could equally satisfy their very different palates, which inspired them to create it.
“If we’re trying to go out for a quick lunch, I usually want to eat healthy. He’s more of a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. There was nowhere we could go that one of us wasn’t settling. A million places in town do it well, but there wasn’t one place where you could get a chicken Philly and a garden bowl. It wasn’t full circle,” Stacey shared. “And so we wanted to offer fresh food for whoever wanted to consume it no matter what their taste was.”
Patrons can expect artisan cuisine made with care and attentiveness.
Their diverse menu includes salads, wraps, 12 daily soup options, and some of the most savory sandwiches, like their signature Roasted Beast.
As the name suggests, it’s handcrafted with slow-roasted beef topped with pickled red onions, sandwich greens, tomatoes, and horseradish aioli - all on marble rye bread.
Healthy and hearty meals on the go
Alongside a mouth-watering menu, the restaurant offers customizable orders, on-to-the-go meals, and convenient online ordering and pick-up.
“I think people were interested in having a place that they didn’t need a whole lot of interaction if they didn’t want it,” said Joe.
Community-centered business
True to their mission, the Rzonsas operate their business from a communal perspective, from providing 100 jobs locally to working with companies across northeastern Ohio.
“It’s been our mindset and our goal to give back to the community that has provided so much to us and so much opportunity for others like us that we’d like to create as many jobs for as many folks that are eager to take them,” Joe said, “We do like to source locally whenever we can. We’re using a couple of local companies. One out of Ravenna, one out of Youngstown, and one out of a suburb of Cleveland.”
The pair said they plan to expand the brand to serve the community better, including opening new locations, growing their catering services, and updating their menu.
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