Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, January 26, 2017, Page 1

Mount Ayr's dining options inceased just before the holidays with the opening of a breakfast eatery, which specialized in Southwestern cuisine at night.

Mark Roybal, who hails from Santa Fe, NM, and his wife Amy, the former Amy Dillenberg who grew up in Mount Ayr, opened the Santa Fe Cafe' in the old Early Bird Cafe' spot. The Roybals moved to Mount Ayr a year and a half ago. Since then Mark has been working at Gilbert Plumbing in Leon.

The opening of the cafe' fulfills a dream for Mark who loves to cook and always dreamed of owning a diner.

"I always wanted to do something like this and the opportunity came up," Mark said about what led him to open a restaurant across from the Farm and Home store in Mount Ayr.

The breakfast menu is headlined by his specialty Cinnamon Cream Cheese French Toast as well as the Pancake Crepes, which can be topped with Cinnamon Cream Cheese or strawberries. The Country Scrambler and the Grilled Breakfast Burrito, which has a Southwstern taste, are other breakfast favorites as are the griddle melts and the omelets.

Opening the Santa Fe Cafe', 115 N. Taylor St., in the old Early Bird location, was a good opportunity for the Roybals who seized on the "good opportunity" because Mount Ayr was in need of a breakfast diner and it gave Mark the opportunity to feature his New Mexican cuisine, which features a variety of chile peppers and different spices than traditional Mexican food. Chipolte peppers are staples of New Mexican cuisine.

The cafe' opens at seven a.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closes at mid-morning for the breakfast service. It reopens at 5 p.m. and closes at 8 p.m. for the Mexican food.

"If we are busy and people keep coming in we will stay open," he said about being willing to stay open until 9 p.m. on good nights.

An objective of Roybal is to offer something different in Mount Ayr so people won't have to travel to Creston, Afton or Osceola to satisfy their hungar for Southwestern food.

"We just want to keep going and add more items to the menu as time goes by," Mark said. "There is a lot more we can put on there."

Carryout orders are also available. The phone number for the Sante Fe Cafe' is 641-464-2966.

Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, February 02, 2017, Page 9

The Mount Ayr Chamber of Commerce was on hand Monday to officially cut the ribbon and welcome Santa Fe Cafe' to the community. The cafe is owned by Amy and Mark Roybal and is located at 115 N. Taylor Street.

Photographs courtesy of Mount Ayr Record-News
Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, August of 2017