Congetta’s Chi-talian Brings Downtown McKenzie a Taste of the Windy City

A familiar name to those who frequent festivals and other outdoor events has taken root in downtown McKenzie.

Congetta’s Chi-talian opened as a brick-and-mortar restaurant on November 19, 2024, evolving from a pushcart to a food truck before settling into the Broadway location.

Owner Diana Haynes is a full-blooded Italian, born and raised in Chicago before moving to McKenzie with her family in 1991.

Haynes was a hairdresser for 20-plus years until salons were shuttered during the pandemic in 2020.

That’s when she began selling Italian ice from a pushcart, setting up in various locations and at outdoor events throughout the area.

The operation first expanded in 2022, when she and partner Bluford “Blu” Cutno acquired a food truck and began offering Italian beef, Italian sausage and meatball sandwiches in addition to Italian ice and cannoli.

Congetta’s was a mainstay at events in downtown Jackson, but made regular trips to McKenzie, especially for Nights on Broadway, the Sweet Tea Festival and the Fourth of July.

Haynes told The Banner the pushcart and the food truck “always did well coming to McKenzie, we’ve always been supported here.”

The budding enterprise also began to offer catering services.

Haynes spoke about the addition of the popular Italian beef. “I was really afraid of it, because it’s one thing when you’re using your mom’s recipe and nobody really knows what your mom’s food tasted like, so they have nothing to compare it to. But the Italian beef is an iconic sandwich, so if you get it wrong, you have messed up the whole city.”

The opening of the storefront allowed for further expansion of the menu. Pasta specials such as lasagna are offered daily, with bread and salads on the side.

But Haynes didn’t stop there. After receiving requests for more side options, rather than offering something standard that wouldn’t really fit the shop’s theme, she created her Chicago Dog Potato Salad as a Chi-italian take on a traditional side item.

Haynes and Cutno told The Banner the next step is expanding to a full kitchen. They hope to add a cannoli bar, bake fresh breads each day, make homemade fresh pasta and offer jarred sauces.

Settling into a building with a foundation is symbolic of Haynes’ intention to become immersed in the McKenzie community.

Thanksgiving fell during Congetta’s second week open, and the restaurant prepared and served a traditional Thanksgiving meal to anyone that wanted to come.

Haynes said of the generous undertaking, “Holidays are hard. Even if you have the means to make a holiday, sometimes they’re just taxing on people. What sometimes is a season of joy for a lot of people is a season of sadness for others. I wanted to create a space for people going through any kind of hardship, whether loss of loved ones or sickness or financial restrictions. I wanted to have a meal and be a part of the community, welcome everybody. It was truly a beautiful experience.”

Congetta’s served over 50 people that day, including some unhoused individuals as well as many Bethel University international students. Cutno noted that for many, it was their first Thanksgiving experience.

Haynes explained that Congetta (Connie in English) was her grandmother’s name. She emigrated through Ellis Island in 1919 and soon settled in Chicago.

Haynes recalled cooking with her grandmother since around age five, when she would use a stepstool to help stir the pots.

Cutno is a New Orleans native who relocated to West Tennessee after Hurricane Katrina, and he brings touches of Louisiana to the menu. The pair note that there’s a ton of intersectionality between Chicago Italian and Louisiana cuisine.

From January up until Mardi Gras in March, Congetta’s will offer specialty items such as king cakes and po’ boys.

Besides Haynes and Cutno, the shop employs manager Shawna Sweet, hostess Trinity Sigler and sandwich maker Braxton Sweet.

Congetta’s is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., offering dine-in, takeout, call-ins (731-393-0063) and delivery (in town, with a small fee). Catering and take-and-bake services are also available.

Haynes told The Banner, “It is such a privilege and honor to be able to serve my family’s traditions and share my culture with the community and to be received so warmly. I’m so grateful.”