T-R PHOTO BY JOE FISHER Gary and Sarah Gimbel owned Marshalltown’s Taco John’s since 2007. Last week they sold the business to Pentex Restaurant Group, a franchisee based in North Dakota.

The service, flavor and culture at Marshalltown’s Taco John’s location will remain the same but the Mexican food inspired fast-food restaurant has new ownership.

Longtime owners Gary and Sarah Gimbel, sold the business, 907 S. Center St., to Pentex Restaurant Group last week. The Gimbels had each been with the location for more than 40 years and owned the location since 2007.

On Dec. 7, the sale of the location was made official.

“We were working there and kind of running things,” Gary said. “We started buying into the business in 2000. In 2007, we were totally able to call it our own.”

Restaurant ownership is a grind, resulting in many late nights and few off days. After running the business for more than a decade, Gary and Sarah decided the time was right to enjoy their family. They recently welcomed their first grandchild and are looking forward to attending their second child’s wedding in 2021.

“We want time to enjoy those things now,” Gimbel said.

The decision to sell the business wasn’t made lightly. Some of the Gimbels employees had been at their side for 15 years or longer.

“Boy, it’s hard to just step away from them,” he said. “That’s all we’ve done all our lives pretty much. It’s going to be a transition.”

One of the longtime employees who trained under Gary is restaurant manager Andrea McGerr. She said customers shouldn’t expect to see any noticeable changes with the new ownership.

“We’re still holding on to our Marshalltown traditions,” McGerr said. “The company coming in — they own several Taco John’s across the nation. They’re letting us be unique to us. We still have all of our same employees.”

Pentex Restaurant Group is a franchisee based in North Dakota which owns 25 Taco John’s locations throughout the Midwest including restaurants in Mason City, Muscatine, Coralville and Cedar Rapids. The company also owns several HuHot Mongolian Grill locations. The company got its start when founders opened their first Taco John’s in Aberdeen, S.D., in 1974.

Pentex’s restaurants employ more than 700 people across six states. There are about 30 Taco John’s employees in Marshalltown.

“They know our culture and how to make it do well. They will be an excellent addition to the Marshalltown community,” Gimbel said. “We just obviously wish the best for our manager and her team and all of our employees. It’s been a solid piece of the community for a long time.”

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Contact Joe Fisher at 641-753-6611 or jfisher@timesrepublican.com