By Lexi MooreResidents of Hills, Beaver Creek and Steen will soon have a new option when it comes to eating locally.The building that sits at 214 S. Main Ave. in Hills will open as Donatello’s Café and Deli in mid-April, according to owners Eugene and Diane Immediato.The Immediatos, who live in Jasper, purchased the building from the City of Hills in December 2003 for $8,000. Their initial plans for the building were to convert the former barbershop and Patriot Academy into a grocery-convenience store.The idea to open a new storefront in Hills came to Eugene while he was in town for a home auction in the summer of 2003. During the auction he went in search of a quick bite to eat and was surprised that the town didn’t have much to offer.Eventually he found himself at Sundem Oil having a slice of pizza but was still perplexed by the lack of dining options."There were very few choices. I grew up in the suburbs of New York where there was always a deli around the corner," he said.Six months later he came across a city of Hills notice announcing the sale of the building on Main Street and decided this was his opportunity.He purchased the building and started talking to local residents about what they would want in a new business.All the responses from residents centered around a need for a place where someone could sit down and get some food to eat. Not fast food, but real food.The couple took this feedback to heart and started tailoring their plans less toward a convenience store and more toward a deli.In April 2004 Eugene began working on the interior. The process of remodeling the building has taken a considerable amount of time because he has done most of the work himself and the floor plan has changed several times.Originally they planned to have a row of booths and a couple of aisles for necessity items. The booths have been expanded to accommodate 32 people, and the necessity items were reduced to one row.The items stocking the shelves are what Diane calls "the essentials; cooking oil, mustard, mayonnaise, flour. Stuff you thought you had at home but discover they are empty when you go to use them."The Immediatos hope to keep Donatello’s Café and Deli open throughout the day, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.In addition to short order items like chicken strips, fries and hamburgers, they will offer special supper meals using their Italian family recipes.Eugene stresses that the first few months of business will be a transitional time while they learn what the community likes and dislikes.When describing the motivations for himself and his wife, Eugene points to community."We want to have fun and answer the needs of the community. We are not doing this to get rich. Prices will be reasonable," he said.The couple is very community-minded. They aspire to work with organizations in town to make Hills a more viable place for families to live and grow.They are looking forward to serving the high school students during lunch and after school as well as accommodating visitors during school events.Commuting from Jasper has not been a problem for the owners. They watch the real estate market in Hills in case the perfect home becomes available.Although Eugene will have help from his brother-in-law, a Sioux Falls resident, he realizes that he will need to hire additional employees in the future. He thinks it will be beneficial to have "local residents working in the deli who know the community."The couple has not set a date for their grand opening but guarantee it will be something special.