Four friends buy Dunton House in Arlington Heights

Four friends who have known each other since they lived in the same small town in Mexico are the new owners of Dunton House, the long-standing popular breakfast spot in downtown Arlington Heights.

Edmundo Zamarripa, his brother Anastacio, and friends Francisco Castro and Isidro Gamboa bought the Arlington Heights institution from former owners Nancy and Bill Tsapralis in a deal finalized last week.

The Zamarripa brothers and Castro had all been cooks at Dunton House since the 1980s and were planning to open their own restaurant when they heard the Tsapralis family was looking to sell.

“It was very exciting. It just worked out perfectly,” said Edmundo Zamarripa's daughter, Carolina Zamarripa, who is now managing the restaurant.

The group is the fifth to own the downtown eatery, now open nearly 50 years. The Tsapralis family owned it for 19 years before retiring earlier this month.

“We feel comfortable with each other because we've known each other for so long,” Anastacio Zamarripa said of his brother and friends, who were close back in Mexico before they settled in the Northwest suburbs — two in Rolling Meadows and one each in Arlington Heights and Des Plaines.

Asked how it feels to take over such a beloved restaurant, Edmundo, who speaks mostly Spanish, said he's “mostly excited, but a little nervous.”

“So far it's been going really well. There's such a good vibe and everyone has been accepting to us,” Carolina Zamarripa added.

The offerings at Dunton House will remain largely the same, but she said her family may bring some of their Latino culture to the menu, such as a Mexican breakfast wrap or a traditional dish called chilaquiles.

“We're just trying to bring a little bit of spice,” she said.

The new owners hope to continue serving Dunton House's many regular customers, like Rick Baker and Cal Staker, who said they eat there about four times a week.

“We're happy to see everything remain the same. I think they are going to be successful,” Staker said.

“The formula for a place like this is the people who work here are so nice and a part of the community, plus the good food,” Baker said. “I think the new owners are going to keep that same old formula and maybe make some good changes too.”

The story of employees from the back of the restaurant moving to the front as its new owners is an example of the American dream, said Isidro Gamboa.

“I feel so happy that we own this place now,” he said. “It shows everything is possible in this country if you work hard.”