Stella’s Brings New York Style Grub to Beach Boulevard

Barbara Banno and her partner Jeanne Kunkle always knew they wanted to open a business together. One question remained: what kind of business? They did their research and found that Gulfport was lacking a diner-type place. Finding a niche, the dynamic duo said they just “went for it.”

Kunkle ran the restaurant while Banno kept her full time job working for American Express. Once the business grew large enough, Banno left her full time position to focus solely on Stella’s Deli and Gelato.

Now, with 10 employees and an addition to the restaurant, Banno says things are going great for Stella’s. “We’re doing really well,” said Banno.

Aside from the gamble of becoming a business owner, neither Banno nor Kunkle had any experience working in a restaurant prior to opening Stella’s. Banno says they owe a lot of the venue’s success to their staff that helped them get off the ground.

“We were very fortunate during that time to have had so much support from this community,” Banno said.

Breakfast plates are served daily with a hefty lunch menu that keeps customers happy until 2 pm, seven days a week. After a lot of feedback, Banno and Kunkle decided to bring in a sushi chef and have what they like to call “Stella’s Twilight Sushi,” three nights a week. On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, guests can enjoy a brand new sushi menu at Stella’s.

Stella’s will celebrate its two year anniversary at the end of this month, which means Banno and Kunkle opened up shop in one of the darkest times in American history, as far as the economy goes.

“Sometimes you just have to stick your neck out to make something happen” explained Banno. “And that’s what we did.”

Banno is from New York and Kunkle hails from Pittsburgh. Between the two, a bigger and better variety of food has been brought to Beach Boulevard.