MOUNT VERNON — Rise and shine — the most important meal of the day is back in town.
First Street Breakfast Company, opened June 3, brings a full-service breakfast restaurant to Mount Vernon for the first time in five years.
With a bright new interior and plenty of diner classics, the new menu by owners by Michelle and Cody Rollinger rounds out Mount Vernon’s main street offerings.
After decades of restaurant industry experience in Cedar Rapids and Marion, the longtime Mount Vernon residents are putting their knowledge to use with their first venture in ownership — in their own town.
If You Go
Address: 100 First St. SE, Mount Vernon
Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Monday; closed Tuesday.
Phone: (319) 305-1053
Website: Find First Street Breakfast Company on Facebook
Details: A full menu of diner classics including burgers, sandwiches, salads, biscuits, omelets and more are available for breakfast and lunch alongside specials and coffee. Average entree cost is about $12.
How it started
Michelle and Cody Rollinger have spent a while in the field.
“I’ve worked in a restaurant basically my whole life, since I was 18,” Michelle said.
Owners Michelle and Cody Rollinger pose for a portrait Aug. 5 at First Street Breakfast Co. in Mount Vernon.
Savannah Blake/The Gazette
After working at Applebee’s for 18 years, the industry veteran did a tour of duty around the Corridor. Shuey’s Restaurant & Lounge in Shueyville, Vito’s on 42nd in Cedar Rapids, the classic Riley’s on First Avenue in Cedar Rapids, and Daisy’s Garage were among her postings.
Cody was the general manager of Chili’s in Cedar Rapids and ran dining operations at the University of Iowa over several years before moving into food distribution. In addition to helping with the restaurant, he continues to work for US Foods.
When the Plantiful Pantry’s cafe closure left a vacancy on the corner of First Street SE and First Avenue S, the 20-year residents of Mount Vernon had a novel idea — what if they opened a restaurant in the town they lived in?
“I’ve lived here for 20 years, but I don’t know a ton of people because I’ve always worked out of town. So it’s nice to be in town and be involved in things,” Michelle said.
The need was there. The Skillet Cafe, open for many years across First Street, had closed in August 2021 after years of offering huge omelets and giant cinnamon rolls.
With their expertise and kids going off to college, the timing felt right to Michelle and Cody. Together, the couple runs First Street Breakfast Co. with the help of Michelle and Cody’s mothers, as well as their three young adult children in the summer.
Tom Wieseler, mayor of Mount Vernon, said a full-service breakfast option has been sorely missed.
“This is a very big deal to have First Street Breakfast Company operating in Mount Vernon. It supplements the day parts of breakfast and lunch where our offerings were limited,” he said. “It strengthens a niche that our community experienced with the closing of The Skillet, after five years.”
It complements the downtown’s renowned Lincoln Winebar, sports bars, independent restaurants like Big’s BBQ, bakery storefronts like White Tree, and coffee shops like Little Scratch.
First Street Breakfast Co.’s operation by three generations of a local family is an added bonus, too.
The Sweet and Savory is among the breakfast offerings at First Street Breakfast Co.
Savannah Blake/The Gazette
On the menu
Complementing Mount Vernon’s offerings, the menu was designed with a small-town mentality where businesses lift each other up without trying to compete on menu items, Michelle said.
With plenty of breakfast experience at local favorites like Riley’s and Cruz’s Cafe, the new menu offers simple classics for breakfast and lunch. With a small kitchen, the menu is starting abbreviated with plans to grow over time through specials and new fixtures.
Breakfast offers signatures like country fried steak and eggs topped with a house-made white gravy that has a little kick, thanks to a family recipe with Worcestshire and “Slap Ya Mama” Cajun hot sauce.
Find trendy options like chicken and waffles, Tex-Mex style in the protein-filled Ultimate Meat Burrito or breakfast quesadilla, a benedict over an English muffin, or three varieties of omelets.
“Just your classic breakfast,” Michelle said. “We wanted to keep it super plain.”
For lunch, find a brunch burger topped with hash browns, bacon and a fried egg, or the Big Dill topped with cheddar, pickle fries and ranch — all made with fresh ground beef.
Chicken sandwiches, a ham and cheese melt and BLT all come with a choice of well-seasoned waffle fries, cottage cheese or coleslaw.
With time, the family hopes to experiment with new specials to find their niche. Breakfast and brunch cocktails like the Bloody Mary, Moscow Mules and select beers are in the works too, pending liquor license approval.
“I just hope that (customers) really like the food and the atmosphere and feel welcome here,” Michelle said. “I love that it’s bright and open, cheerful and clean.”
Dining and Cooking