CEDAR FALLS - Most fine arts majors don't use their degrees to dabble in the culinary arts.

However, that's how Shannon Bown is finally putting to use her degree from Iowa State University.

After years of working in marketing, Bown and her fiancee, Alan Foote, opened Reata'z Deli & Market in Cedar Falls.

Neither have ever run a restaurant - or any business - before opening the deli the last weekend of June.

Foote says he's confident the new business will thrive.

"She had a very solid concept," he said. "After she brought this idea to me, I knew, just knowing her the way I know her, she will make this work."

Bown said she enjoyed using her artistic talents decorating the interior of the business and creating artwork for the walls, She said she painted the interior to try to create a colorful but subdued atmosphere.

"We wanted to create a fun atmosphere," Bown said.

Located in the Hudson and 57 Mini Mall, on the corner of Hudson Road and First Street, the deli won't see a lot of foot traffic and sits away from downtown and campus. Bown said she likes the idea of being a "hidden gem."

She said first-time customers don't expect to find, in a strip mall, a place where they can have iced coffee, some wine or a micro-brew beer and sit by a fire place.

"I think we do get a lot of people who walk in who are surprised," she said.

While optimistic, the couple is also trying to be realistic about starting the business in a climate that is testing even veteran entrepreneurs.

Restaurant operators are facing higher food and delivery costs along with lower revenue with fewer people dining out.

The current economic climate almost delayed Reata'z opening. However, the couple decided to plow ahead.

"We knew this environment wasn't going to last forever," Foote said.

"In Iowa, we're sheltered a little bit from the harsh economic climate," Bown said. "I think this community is unique enough that, despite the economy, we think we can make this work."

Although Bown hasn't run a restaurant, in her previous job as marketing manager at Martin Brothers Distributing Co., she helped other restaurant owners market their establishments. She said that experience will help her build a successful strategy of their own.

Bown said her strategy is to let the food do the bulk of the marketing and set Reata'z apart from other area restaurants. For that, she draws on the restaurant's names sake - her grandmother. Bown created much of the menu based on her grandmother's recipes.

Hard work is the other part of the equation, the couple said.

"This is the hardest I've ever worked in my life," said Foote, adding that he doesn't mind putting in the long hours.

"It's a satisfaction I did not have in my other job," he said.

"Here, it's what you want to make of it," Bown said. "You're building something for yourself and your family."

Contact John Molseed at (319) 291-1418 or John.Molseed@wcfcourier.com.