The longtime home of Rheinland German Restaurant on Independence's downtown Square is slated to become an all-day diner. Main St. Diner, planned for 208 N. Main St. this fall, is expected to open daily at 6 a.m. and serve breakfast throughout the day, alongside classic American plates such as pancakes, eggs and omelets and Italian-American offerings including meatball sandwiches and cannolis.
The Kansas City Star reported that the diner is being developed by Tony Restivo and his family. Restivo, who entered the restaurant industry after leaving the Navy, plans to help cook and manage the business, while his son Anthony III Restivo is expected to serve as head chef. Anthony currently works as a cook at Rae's Cafe in Independence, and Hannah Restivo is also a co-owner, according to the Kansas City Star.
The space the family is taking over carries its own history on the Square. The storefront was formerly occupied by Rheinland German Restaurant.
A Family Business, Built From A Long-Held Dream
Tony Restivo told the Star that the family had a long-standing dream of opening a business together, and Main St. Diner will keep it close to home: four of Restivo's children will work there, alongside their girlfriends, cousins, aunts, Restivo's father and his father-in-law. Restivo said he lives just minutes from downtown Independence and applied for a loan to get the diner off the ground.
Restivo told the Star that the concept draws on New York diners, with a traditional diner appearance paired with updated elements. He said the family is targeting an average meal price of about $15 and wants to compete on quality, taste and consistency, while offering an all-day dining option.
Anthony III Restivo's current job connects the new restaurant to another local dining business. Rae's Cafe drew regional attention in September 2021 after its original Blue Springs location was closed by a Jackson County court order over violations of COVID-19 health mandates. The business later relocated to Independence, which had separate authority over mask mandates, according to KCUR.
Early Hours And A Walk-Up Window
Main St. Diner is still solidifying its hours, but the family's current plan calls for opening daily at 6 a.m. and closing at 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. on weekends. A walk-up window will offer breakfast sandwiches, coffee and pastries for customers grabbing something quick, in addition to the full sit-down menu inside.
That early start would put Main St. Diner ahead of much of the competition. The Kansas City Star reported that the two diners near Main St. Diner at 208 N. Main Street in Independence, Missouri, are not open for dinner past 7 p.m.
Joining A Square Built By Local Investment
Main St. Diner is landing in a downtown district reshaped over the past quarter-century largely through private investment. Starting in 1998, local entrepreneurs Cindy and Ken McClain began buying up vacant commercial properties on the Square and eventually opened nine downtown restaurants, helping reverse years of blight, according to The Independent. Business owners in the historic district can also tap the Independence Square TIF Facade Grant Program, which reimburses up to 90% of qualified exterior restoration, lighting and signage costs, capped at $100,000 per calendar year, per the City of Independence.
The Square's redevelopment and preservation record
The available city material documents redevelopment and preservation efforts rather than providing a current count of occupied or vacant storefronts. According to the City of Independence, the Historic Independence Square has seen $30 million in private commercial redevelopment. A separate 2017 account described another adaptive-reuse precedent, reporting that Cindy and Ken McClain had expanded from opening Ophelia's 18 years earlier to owning nearly 20 businesses on the Square, according to Seacoastonline. Preservation is also part of the framework for changes to historic properties. The City of Independence says its Historic Preservation Division oversees the preservation, rehabilitation and restoration of historic resources. In a separate 2013 effort, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources said Independence received a $15,000 federal Historic Preservation Fund grant for an architectural and historical survey of about 160 buildings in the North Main Street neighborhood. The city's design guidelines apply citywide and are intended to help property owners obtain approval for proposed exterior improvements to historic properties.
The area also includes the Independence Square Association and the Independence Uptown Market.
The family's menu also taps into a much older regional story. Kansas City's Italian-American culinary roots trace back to the 1860s, when immigrants — roughly 85% of them from Sicily — settled in the city's North End, an area later known as Columbus Park, according to Flatland KC. The menu folds meatball sandwiches and cannolis in alongside diner classics like eggs and pancakes served all day.
