Longtime Illinois restaurant offers its meat sauce in stores. Here's where to find it

Mona’s Italian Restaurant is a longtime establishment in central Illinois. In fact, the Toluca business – founded by Nildo “Mona” Arthur Bernardi – opened just over 90 years ago in 1933.

The family business has since grown to include multiple restaurants, including Capponi’s in Toluca and Bernardi’s in Washington. Over the years, co-owner Tony Bernardi said Mona’s products also made their way into stores.

"The retail product has been out since the early '70s," he said. "So, we're a name that has been around central Illinois a long time."

More recently, customers may have noticed a new name appearing on grocery shelves. The Nildo’s brand began in 2020 and offers the longtime restaurant’s meat sauce, as well as other products.

“Everything’s the same,” Bernardi said of Nildo’s. “It’s just the name change.”

'The story here is legacy':90-year-old Illinois Italian restaurant shares its history

‘We need to get this back out there’

Around 2019, Bernardi said the company that manufactured and sold Mona’s retail products stopped producing the meat sauce. Soon enough, he said Mona’s Italian Restaurant began hearing from the community.

"The calls were just coming in. 'Where's the sauce? We can't find the sauce,' just all the time," Bernardi said. "So, we're like, we need to get this back out there."

Bernardi said the business began working with a manufacturer in Chicago and found distributors for the product.

The company that manufactured Mona’s retail products still owned the name, however, so Bernardi said the name had to change. Customers will now find the meat sauce – as well as various other products – under the Nildo’s brand.

“It's going well. People are buying it up – especially this time of year,” he said. “When you get September through March, you know – your colder months – that’s when people tend to eat the heartier foods.”

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What products does Nildo's offer?

Currently, Bernardi said the Nildo's offers three retail products:

• Meat sauce
• Alfredo sauce
• Egg noodles

While pricing varies by location, Bernardi said customers can generally find the meat sauce for around $6.95 and the alfredo sauce for around $8.95.

The Nildo’s brand previously offered frozen entrees, such as lasagna and chicken bruschetta. Moving forward, Bernardi said the goal is to expand Nildo’s distribution and eventually bring the entrees back as a product.

"Until we pick up more distribution, you know, we're not able to sell those entrees," he said.

Where can I purchase Nildo's products?

• Alwan & Sons Meat Company at 703 E. War Memorial Drive, Peoria Heights
• B&R Grocery East at 1123 N. Otter Creek St., Streator
• B&R Grocery South 1212 S. Bloomington St., Streator
• College Hills Meat Shop at 1522 E. College Ave., Normal
• County Market at 406 W. Madison St., Pontiac
• D & S Foods at 120 E. Bluff St., Marseilles
• Dave's Supermarket at 120 S 3rd St., Fairbury
• Handy Foods at 604 W. Main St., Ottawa
• Henry Foods at 615 3rd St., Henry
• Save A Lot at 802 Joliet St., La Salle
• Seneca Food Mart at 271 S. Main St., Seneca
• Singh Market at 124 W. Santa Fe Ave., Toluca
• Supreme House of Cheese at 222 E. Santa Fe Ave., Toluca
• ValuCheck at 2111 Court St., Pekin
• Village Green House, Inc. Liquor Shop at 611 S. Clark St., North Utica

Nildo's products can also be found in multiple storefronts for the following businesses:

Hy-Vee

• 1403 N. Veterans Parkway, Bloomington
• 4125 N. Sheridan Road, Suite 20, Peoria
• 7610 N. Orange Prairie Road, Peoria
• 1651 Midtown Road #200, Peru
• 2700 Dekalb Ave., Sycamore

IGA

• Jim's IGA at 202 N. Washington St., Lacon
• Kirby Foods at 45 N. Fayette St., El Paso
• Kirby Foods at 514 W. Center St., Eureka
• Kirby Foods at 200 S. Chestnut St., Le Roy
• Kirby Foods at 610 W. Mt. Vernon St., Metamora
• Roanoke IGA at 106 W. Davison St., Roanoke

Kroger

• 1502 N. Main St., Bloomington
• 2507 E. Oakland Ave., Bloomington
• 603 S. 4th St., Chillicothe
• 201 S. Main St., East Peoria
• 1001 W. Jackson St., Morton
• 1607 Broadway St., Pekin
• 9219 N. Lindbergh Drive, Peoria
• 20 Cherry Tree Shopping Center, Washington

Schnucks

Nildo's can be found in Peoria, Pekin, Dunlap, Bloomington and Normal Schnucks locations. View the store locator here.

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