T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY From left to right, longtime Haley’s owners Stan and Leslie Groth, employee Amanda Mericle, new owner Ramon Gomez and his daughter Elizabeth. The Gomez family already owns the neighboring La Vecindad Grocery Store and Tortilleria and is excited to carry on the legacy of Haley’s.

Stan and Leslie Groth have been involved with Haley’s Deli BBQ and Catering (formerly Haley’s Grocery Store) for over 40 years, and they recently made the difficult decision to sell the business and move onto the next phase of their lives. They can rest assured, however, that the transition will be smooth, and the new owners know a thing or two about preparing great food for hungry customers.

Ramon Gomez, who currently owns the neighboring La Vecindad Grocery and Tortilleria on North Third Street, will officially take over Haley’s on Oct. 17, and he plans to keep the core of the business the same with the possibility of serving alcohol and adding a few Mexican options at some point in the future.

Ownership of the restaurant, which was also a grocery store until 2014 when the Groths discontinued that aspect of the business due to increased corporate competition, has been in Leslie Groth’s family since 1952, and she and Stan were the third generation to run it after her parents and grandparents — Les and Hazel Haley, the business’s namesakes.

Like most other business owners, especially those in the food industry, the Groths felt the squeeze of the COVID-19 pandemic and struggled to find supplies and containers — although, as they noted, Gomez was gracious enough to help them out with containers whenever they needed them. As they looked for someone to buy the store and carry on the legacy they’ve helped to create, the ideal candidate became obvious.

“I knew that Ramon had a small restaurant in his business, and he’s us probably 25 years ago. And I just knew that that was a little niche,” Stan said.

Once the conversation started, both parties expressed immediate interest. Groth stopped over to La Vecindad to buy some supplies, pitched Gomez on the idea that he had a small restaurant and needed a bigger one along with more parking spaces, more room for trucks and the ability to run both businesses side by side.

Stan then cut to the chase and told him he ought to consider buying the place. Gomez responded “How much?” Before long, a deal was in place, and both sides walked away thrilled with the outcome.

Gomez, whose daughter Elizabeth translated for him, said he had been looking to expand his own portfolio and has big ambitions long-term, but he wasn’t sure when the Haley’s property might become available. His main goal is to “give the people what they want” and continue to offer all of the homecooked St. Louis style BBQ specialties and sides that made the restaurant such a hit in the first place. He would also like to extend the hours, add TVs and sell beer at some point, and he has his eyes on acquiring the property neighboring La Vecindad to the north for a taco truck in the future.

Even though he wants the classic menu to stay intact, Stan is hopeful that Gomez and his family will bring a few of their authentic Mexican specialties over to Haley’s as well.

“He’s going to bring a lot of energy to the business, and that’s what it takes,” Stan said.

And as Hispanic-owned businesses continue to grow and thrive in Marshalltown — there are now at least four Mexican grocery stores in the community — Elizabeth hopes people like her and her father can be seen as local leaders in that movement.

“It’s just, like, bringing more culture into things would be nice. Especially in this area, you see a lot of different faces and different colors, you know? It’s a variety of people, and we all like food,” she said. “So it brings us together.”

Stan admitted a few of his most loyal longtime customers expressed apprehension about the establishment changing hands, but once he explained that they’d still be able to get comfort food specialties like lasagna, ham balls and meatloaf, their concerns were assuaged. Amanda Mericle, who has been with Haley’s for almost a decade, is also staying onboard.

“They’re just scared that that home cooking is going away. (Gomez) is gonna see to it that it stays,” Stan said.

Handing the business off to Gomez, Stan said, almost feels like another generation of family ownership, and he can’t wait to see what they do with it. While he and Leslie certainly have bittersweet feelings about leaving behind an operation that’s been a cornerstone throughout most of their lives, they knew it was time, and they believe they’ve made the right decision.

“I feel good about it, and I want to thank you for the opportunity to carry that on and work harder,” Gomez said. “I’m hoping that we’ll give it our all… I just want to keep going up and up and up.”

Haley’s is located at 501 N. Third Ave.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com