Italian Moon is located at 810 South Washington street. Photo via WDAZ.

Italian Moon, or “The Moon” as it is known around town, has long been a staple in the lives of Grand Forks residents.

The restaurant, which serves a full menu with a wide variety including pizza, pasta, Italian, Mexican and American dishes has been in Grand Forks since 1965, when it was opened by Keith Moon.

The restaurant first opened at 11th Avenue North and Washington but has been at it’s current location at 810 South Washington since 1969. Recently, the owner of the Moon, Ken Towers, has decided to sell the restaurant and retire after four decades in business.

“Forty-one years is a long time,” Towers said. “And I’m 75. Most people retire long before 75.”

Towers says he still enjoys the daily work of running the restaurant but is looking forward to being able to slow down. He typically interacts with all of his customers to make sure their experience is a great one.

Towers credits his managers and staff for making the Moon so successful, and he hopes the new owners will keep running the Moon as he has over the years, but if he doesn’t find the right owner, Towers says he will continue managing the restaurant.

Italian Moon is currently listed with Dakota Commercial for $990,000. The building was constructed in 1960, but Towers has made several recent updates.

“It’s been very good to us in the 40 years we’ve had it,” Towers said.

Outside of the service and management, the restaurant also has a large buffet and delivery service.

The Moon offers UND specials, which adds to its popularity with students. The Moon is open until midnight on UND men’s home hockey nights and has several specials available before and after the hockey games.

Catering is also available at a discounted price. It covers everything from parties to box lunches and to office meals. It will design menus around the specific event, too.

“The Italian Moon is a homey, unpretentious and sometimes congested type of place,” Marilyn Hagerty’s Eatbeat read in the Grand Forks Herald in 2007. “If you can’t find what you want to eat on this menu, you’re probably not hungry.”

Katie Haines is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. She can be reached at [email protected].