Ribbon Cut

New Holland turns out in support of Ollie's Diner
Ribbon cut well attended by the community

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[June 18, 2024]  On Friday evening, there was a large number of people who turned out for the ribbon cutting event at Ollie’s Diner in New Holland.

The diner is located in the property owned by the village of New Holland and is being leased by Cassie Young of Mason City. Young is no stranger to food preparation, having run her own business in Mason City for some time. At her Mason City business she focuses on sweets and is incorporating that love of decadent candies into her business in New Holland, along with a love of pork.

Ollie’s mascot is Boss Hog who stands at the corner of the bar as guests enter the building, symbolizing that the primary meat on the menu is going to be pork based. The next best offering will be black angus beef.

Young is a quiet, laid-back lady who has adopted a few motivating tag lines. First she says that the diner is “go big or go home.” She notes that portion sizes are large and delicious. She adds that there are smaller versions available. Often referred to as children’s meals, she says there are a lot of adult customers who will order that smaller version because they know that the “man-sized” plates are going to be more than they can eat.

The next tag line is “we’re meat and tater people.” The offerings on the menu are good old-fashioned country cooking featuring foods with names that are recognizable just the same as the food. From biscuits and gravy to pork chops or chicken strips, everything is a lot like what grandma would cook.

Then the third tag would be “honor your history and heritage.” The diner is named Ollie’s and it pays homage to the founder of the Village of New Holland. Oliver Holland was that founder, and he is prominently featured on a will in the first room of the diner.

Also, the bar in the first room is original to the building, and there is what appears to be a 1920s era photo hanging at the far end of the bar that verifies it.

Walking into the main door at Ollies, the bar and a long walkway of antiques collectables speak to days gone by and helps set the tone for a business that is paying tribute to the community. There are a few lunch tables in the first room, but the bulk of the dining space is in the next two rooms.

The middle room is accented by a lovely fireplace with a few tables for smaller groups. The third room has space for larger groups and several tables for four. It is in the fourth room that the Sunday brunch is set up. Guests can come in and enjoy a large all-you-can-eat meal on Sundays for one flat price.

Young explained that she came to New Holland before opening Ollie’s. She had worked at the New Holland Café’ then for a while worked in Lincoln at the Blue Dog. When she left the Blue Dog, she decided that she wanted to have her own place and knew that the New Holland Café’ had closed. She saw it as a kismet opportunity and reached out to the Village Board to talk about taking on the eatery.

She said that Village Board President Annie Coers and the members of the board were great to work with and it took no time at all to come up with an agreement and a plan for the new Ollie’s Diner.

The officially opened on April 12th. And has enjoyed success with much support from the New Holland community.

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Young says there are still new offerings that she will be bringing to the diner including a “candy bar” which will feature the homemade sweets she offers through her other business. There are also aspirations to add a milkshake to the menu with old fashion milkshakes made to order.

Young says that the success of any business is based not just on the owner but also on the staff and the support of family and friends. She noted that her sons and daughter have been very supportive. Her summation of the family support is that her daughter Rhiana is her left-hand person, her son Trace has helped with a lot of the maintenance and physical labor around getting the diner ready for customers, and her son Aiden “comes to eat!”

Staff is also important, and Young called out one in particular saying, “my girl Steph, is my right hand.” Steph and others at the diner are also not strangers to the eatery in New Holland, as at least a couple of them have worked in the diner through various operators.

The Village of New Holland was founded in 1875 by Oliver Holland. The land upon which the town was erected was owned by Oliver Holland, a piece of his 700-plus acre farm.

On Friday evening, two of his great-granddaughters were on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony. Martha and Rhoda Holland explained that they were the daughters of Don Holland, granddaughters of Will Holland, and great granddaughters of Oliver Holland. As a tribute to the town and its founders, the Holland sisters were invited to join in the ribbon cutting, holding one end of the ribbon with LDN’s Chassidy White, who is from the New Holland area originally, holding the other.

Others joining Young behind the ribbon included her staff, several family and friends, and Village Board Trustee Jonie McAllister. Village President Annie Coers was unable to attend, but sent a message via Nila Smith who was acting emcee for the cut. She said she wanted to express her disappointment in not being able to attend the ribbon cut and personally wish Young all the best. She said that Young was “awesome” and had been a joy to work with in getting the diner open for the community once again.


Jonie McAllister second from the right

McAllister was asked to say a few words on behalf of the village. She said first, “thank you, thank you, thank you!” She went on to say that the diner is an asset to the town, and it is very much needed not just for the town but for the surrounding community. It is also up to the town and the community to support the business and help it thrive.

Before snipping the ribbon, Young said that she just wanted to thank everyone who had helped her get going in New Holland and she wanted to thank everyone who was at the ribbon cutting.

Before cutting the ribbon, the traditional posed photo was taken, then Young at the end of the countdown snipped the ribbon on Ollie’s Diner.

Ollie’s Diner is open Tuesday through Saturday starting at 6 a.m. and closes at 2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. The diner has extended hours on Friday and Saturday, closing at 8 p.m. On Sunday the diner is open for brunch buffet only from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The diner is also maintaining the Senior meals programs that were established by previous operators.

[Nila Smith]

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