Kalona

After more than 20 years of running Tuscan Moon Grill on Fifth, Warren and Paula Miller are looking to move on. The couple, who own the restaurant, recently announced that they are looking to sell.

Warren, 79, said it is time to transition out of the business, which he has operated since 2005.

“There's a time to say, ‘You got to do something different.”

Before the restaurant opened, Paula operated a gift and home-decor studio in the building. A few years later, in 2005, Warren opened the restaurant, initially serving customers outside while the studio remained inside.

They later expanded the restaurant indoors and moved the studio upstairs. Although the studio is no longer operating, the upstairs now includes additional restaurant seating for about 25 people, a bar and two apartments.

For the restaurant’s first 16 years, Warren and Paula lived in one of those apartments. Warren enjoyed the convenience of being close to the business.

“One of my favorite things when it first opened was that the restaurant would open at five, and the best thing was to walk out of my apartment door upstairs and hear all the noise of people talking. And you walk down and see people. It was a great experience.”

Although they no longer live there, Warren said future owners could live in the apartments or rent them out.

“You could put three apartments upstairs, almost. And a business downstairs, so the income from the apartments—I mean, you could get a good cash flow.”

Over the years, Warren has built relationships with his customers, who he said value the food and atmosphere.

“We have a great customer base, and I love the place. I have a great passion for it, and for our customers. Our customers are wonderful.”

He has also learned many lessons about running a business, including knowing your customers, maintaining food quality, keeping political opinions out of the restaurant and treating employees well.

Warren said understanding your customers matters in any business, not just food service.

“If you don’t know your customer, you’re not going to make it.”

He has also learned that reducing food quality to cut costs can drive customers away. He said customers will pay more if the quality remains consistent.

“The last thing you do in a restaurant is take the quality of your food down to save money to sell it cheaper. Customers don’t want it; they’ll pay more, keep the same quality, and they’ll pay the price.”

Treating people well is another lesson he emphasized.

“Just treat everybody good and equally.”

Warren recalled a time when a customer was unhappy. After catching up with him and learning what was wrong, Warren gave him a $50 gift card—more than the amount the customer had offered.

When a friend who also owned a restaurant heard about it, he told Warren, “You’ll never make it in this business, you can’t give customers stuff like that.” A year later, Warren said, that friend closed his restaurant.

Warren also believes business owners should be careful about sharing political opinions, recognizing that customers have different viewpoints.

“You have to just be in the middle of the road, But your political stuff, just keep it to yourself.”

He also follows the familiar saying that the customer is always right.

“Customers are always right,” Warren said, adding that he tells staff to “bite your tongue” if they disagree with a customer.

Treating his staff well is equally important to him. Over the years, he has learned how much of a difference a good staff can make. When customers offer positive feedback, he makes sure to recognize employees by “passing it on to the staff,” adding, “they`re the best.”

Warren said running the kitchen is the hardest part of the restaurant business. His current chef has been with him for almost five years, and the two have developed a strong working relationship. Warren said he pays him well because “you’re only going to be as good as they are.”

Although Warren said the restaurant is now doing well, its early years were difficult.

“We started out in the first two years that were rough, like any. I understand why restaurants close. The first couple years were really difficult.”

Along with the restaurant and upstairs space, the building has a basement wine cellar, which was built about eight to 10 years ago.

The cellar can hold about 1,200 bottles of wine, and the restaurant carries more than 200 bottles.

Since opening the restaurant, Warren has remained involved, making an effort to talk with every customer when he is there. He said those conversations, including visiting with customers on Saturday nights, are part of what keeps him coming back.

“I talk to every person, it’s why I`m still here.”

Although he does not work every shift, he still tries to stop in every day they are open.

“I'm always here Friday and Saturday. I just want to be around and run the business. My wife and I make the decisions and I like to be here.”

Tuscan Moon Grill on Fifth is located at 203 Fifth St. in Kalona.

Despite wanting to sell, Warren emphasized that he has no plans to close the restaurant.

“We’re not gonna close. We’re gonna keep it open.”