Dino’s Café Opens Italian Cuisine

By Bo McMullian

An untiring “entrepreneurial spirit” and a love of Jackson County are what drives Jamie Streetman, the new owner of Dino’s Pizza and Subs in downtown Marianna. Add a devotion to family and you complete his life. His daughter Kassie will be the master chef, granddaughter Chelsea will be a personal server and wife Sandy is co-owner. It will thus truly be a “family owned and operated” business.

Kassie, 23, will bring her brand new degree in culinary arts from Gulf Coast Junior College to the kitchen of the new restaurant. By February, Streetman said, the name will be changed to Dino’s Café, and Italian menu items will be added, such as pastas, salads, Italian breads and desserts and white sauce pizza.

The ribbon-cutting is planned for some date in January.

Streetman isn’t content to merely being a supporter of our area’s economic growth--he’s the 2009 president of the chamber of commerce--he has to be part of it. “To build Jackson County, we have to be part of it,” he told the TIMES on Monday. “The spirit of entrepreneurism is how we will grow. Let’s stay here and create jobs.”

Streetman explained that he is somewhat disappointed when parents still raise their children here and urge them to seek their fortunes elsewhere, when plenty of opportunities can be found locally. He’s done both. After graduating from Marianna High School in 1973, he didn’t go to college. He prepared for a local future in the automotive business, working as a mechanic and parts salesman. He turned out to be quite talented, winding up in the corporate world working for Standard Motor Products. In this role he travelled the country selling parts and training corporate representatives.

Standard Motor Product’s corporate office is in Dallas and the home office is in Long Island, N.Y. The company let him take time out in 1999 to start an automotive technology program at Chipola College at which he instructed for two semesters.

Despite the fact that his business took him to 26 states travelling 40 weeks out of the year, Streetman always left a residence here, longing for the time he could permanently move back home.

“I found out there are a lot of wonderful sights in the United States,” he said, “but none as beautiful and wonderful as Jackson County. There’s no place like home.”

At 50, Streetman left the corporate world behind. That was in 2004. He “changed fields,” as he put it and started selling real estate--back home in Jackson County. He’s now a broker-associate with Coldwell Banker at the Hatcher Agency in Marianna. He also serves the Jackson Hospital board of directors as secretary-treasurer. His local civic club? Why, the Optimists--naturally!

“When I came back in 2004,” Streetman said, “I wanted to give back to the community that gave so much to me. I’ve been humbled a few times, but now I’m older and wiser.” He and Sandy, an RN at Jackson Hospital, have four children; Shanna, 35; Mandy, 33; Terry, 29; Kassie; and three grandchildren.

Dino’s is located in the old Hightower’s Drug Store, where Streetman and many other kids in the 1960s enjoyed root beer floats and sundaes. He wants to put in a soda fountain and counter if he can, …..in homage to those days.

Tangela and Dean Eddy opened Dino’s about two years ago. They recently sold the business to Streetman and moved to South Florida. Before it was Dino’s, the place was the original home for our local Mexican restaurant, Old Mexico.

Streetman began operation of the establishment on Nov. 16. The hours are Monday through Friday from 10;30 a.m. until 7 p.m. or later. The expanded menu and Italian cafe theme will begin in about eight weeks. “We’re trying to get our feet on the ground right now,” the restaurateur said. “The Lord seemed to guide us here.”

Dino’s phone number for carry out orders is 526-7776.