Room at 103 the first step in a new event space in New Holland
Coming this spring Ollie’s Diner

[December 28, 2023]  

At first thought, you might think this is the name of a scary movie. Or the name of a TV show filled with the all-too-popular high school drama. Neither could be further from the truth. "Room at 103" is a concept created by Cassie Young that is filled with ambition, class, creativity, and the love of people, and just so happens to be the newest event space in Logan/Mason County.

Nestled at 103 W. Lincoln Street in New Holland, sits a series of three connected buildings (formerly the New Holland Café and Convenience Store) that is a new event/meeting space and will soon open up to a restaurant that will be called Ollie’s Diner. This name is after the founding father of New Holland, Oliver Holland in 1875. Young plans to research and incorporate as much historical history about the town, buildings, and people as much as possible into the Diner and event space. Young is not new to this concept, as she takes pride in living in a house in Luther, (between New Holland and Mason City) that was the first schoolhouse in Mason County. This schoolhouse was built in 1855, six years before the Civil War with the last graduating class in 1949, in which from time to time some students still stop by to reminisce.

Having business and restaurant management experience, being a single mom of three grown children, and not having less than two jobs at once, Young understands dedication and hard work. She is a 3rd generation chocolatier with over 30 years of experience in the food/catering industry and for the past 13 years has been the inspiration and creator of Mamas Munchies.

Mamas Munchies has year-round catering of Chicken/Pork/Beef/Pasta entrees, appetizers, fruit/veggie tray choices, candies, smash/cup/decorated cakes, and gluten, egg, dairy, and sugar-free options. Young has plans for the beginning of the year to have in-house meals/social hours for Senior Citizens, specialized craft classes, canning classes, and meal prep classes for both men and women. Young’s ideas are endless, and she is committed to serving Central Illinois and giving back to the community one step at a time.

Ollie’s Diner will not be ready for operation until late Spring or Summer since she is planning to do most of the renovation herself with the help of family and friends. Once the renovation of Ollie’s Diner is completed, the combined space between the three buildings will hold up to 180 people and there are plans to have a Willie Wonka-type dessert and a candy bar for those customers with a sweet tooth. Young has the knowledge and capability to serve a party of that size, and any event can be catered and prepared with several entree choices, desserts, or non-alcoholic drink bars, with all alcoholic drinks being on a BYOB basis. The current plan for Ollie’s Diner is to be a location that will be comfortable for all types of families, and they plan to be open Tuesday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a special Sunday brunch choice from 6 a.m. to noon. Thoughts of having a special themed dinner on Friday and/or Saturday nights are still in the works, so stay tuned for those specific dinner announcements. The next planned event is the New Year’s Eve Pajama Party, check out Mamas Munchies on social media for more details. Mamas Munchies can be reached by calling Cassie at 217-871-8058 or emailing theroomat103events
@hotmail.com. 

In speaking with Cassie Young she referenced many times how she wants to show the importance of Route 10 and how it is a lifeline between most smaller communities in and around Logan and Mason County. She recalled a story of how at a young age a family friend taught her how important and gratifying it is when “people help people.” It’s apparent that Cassie Young’s end game isn’t fame or fortune, it’s simply using current resources to build, make better, and bond the small communities that she has grown to love and respect with food, providing a venue for socialization, and special events that are important to the friends and family of Central Illinois.

[JA Hodgdon]