T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY — Zeno’s Pizza, located at 109 E. Main St., recently became one of the first two Iowa restaurants to receive a $50,000 grant through the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Backing Historic Small Restaurants program. Owners Michele and Aaron Buzbee plan to use the money for exterior improvements including refurbishing the iconic neon sign (pictured) and painting a new mural along the east and south walls.

Neil Dalal admits that he may spend too much time on social media, but sometimes, his self-described “rabbit holes” can yield amazing results.

When Dalal, a local community revitalization enthusiast, learned of the 2024 Backing Historic Small Restaurants grant program available through the National Trust for Historic Preservation in partnership with American Express, he quickly thought of a perfect potential beneficiary right here in Marshalltown: Zeno’s Pizza, which is owned and operated by his friends Aaron and Michele Buzbee.

“I was looking through the grant, and it basically fit Zeno’s history and what they were doing to a T, and then you tie in what Aaron and Shel do from a volunteer nonprofit side of it, it was a great fit. It really made sense for them to apply for it,” Dalal said. “There’s all these opportunities. At the higher level, there’s tons of opportunities and grants out there that we as a community, are we missing them? Are we not aware? They’re just flying by and we’re not taking advantage of them, and so it’s great that for this type of grant, Aaron and Shel don’t have to do a matching grant… It’ll be exciting to see what they do with the money.”

The only challenge the Buzbees faced was time: when Dalal told them about the grant in March, they had three days to finalize their application.

“We just kind of worked tirelessly on that for the next three days. We kind of met a ton of their qualifications off the bat, which made me pretty hopeful,” Michele said.

Zeno’s checked off many of the boxes. Its history dates back to the 1950s, and it has been known by its current name since 1959, when Elmer “Zeno” Kluck bought out former partner Rocky Lavalle and changed it from Rocky’s to Zeno’s. It had been affected by a natural disaster, and it’s also on Main Street and located within a low-income housing tract.

Once they submitted the application, all the Buzbees could do was wait, but on the last day of June, they learned that their restaurant was one of the 50 recipients nationwide and, along with Miss Phay Cafe in Davenport, one of the first two Iowa eateries to ever be awarded the grant. One of the core tenets of the action plan for the grant money, Michele said, is to improve the iconic neon sign in front of the restaurant after it suffered extensive damage in the 2018 tornado.

“There’s a lot of damage that you can’t see until you get up close, but we want to refurbish that sign. We had it completely rebuilt after the tornado, but neon is one of those things that needs constant updating, especially with that ticking light on the bottom,” she said. “So just give it a tune up and repaint it. You can see the paint peeling behind the letters and stuff. We did some painting on the lower half last year, but we’re kind of saving the big top part.”

Along with lighting up the smaller Zeno’s sign above the main entry and adding lighting to the east and south exteriors, the other key aspect is redoing the mural that wraps around the back and the side of the building in partnership with Project 7 Design. The 1970s and pizza are the current working themes, according to Michele Buzbee.

“The mural and the facade itself really did sustain a lot of damage, primarily in the tornado, of course, and the derecho too. So the eephus itself, which is, like, the stucco, needs to be repaired and it just needs to be repainted and started over,” she said.

She is hopeful that the improvements will help to catch potential customers’ eyes and attract a new generation of Zeno’s devotees to the restaurant known for its thin crust tavern style pizza with a wide variety of specialties and customizable options.

“That’s what we’re hoping to do with the new mural is bring some vibrancy to the east and the back, especially the back. Since the storm, you can see the back of our building from pretty far away all the way on Center Street, so (the goal is to) direct people’s eyes more towards our business,” Buzbee said.

For Dalal, the success of this application serves as a reminder to continue searching for similar grants and funding sources, wherever they may present themselves.

“There’s a lot of great resources, and definitely, we should find any opportunity to take advantage of those, apply for every single one of them, and that way, it can help us grow our downtown and grow businesses and retail and shopping and dining in our community,” he said.

And for Marshalltown Central Business District (MCBD) Executive Director Deb Millizer, the news is simply more evidence of the momentum building all across the downtown area.

“The Backing Historic Small Restaurants grant awarded to Zeno’s will significantly benefit downtown Marshalltown. By injecting much-needed capital into this local business, the program aims to enhance operations and stimulate economic activity. Zeno’s, a cherished historic restaurant enjoyed by families for generations, will continue its legacy with the support of this grant,” Millizer said. “The unique atmosphere and delicious pizza at Zeno’s contribute to its appeal. As a vibrant anchor in the downtown area, Zeno’s draws visitors. When historic restaurants rejuvenate their spaces and innovate, they become even more enticing destinations. Increased foot traffic benefits neighboring businesses. Overall, this grant opportunity uplifts the entire downtown, creating a more vibrant and culturally rich environment.”