New Deli and Ice-Cream Parlour - Missy's

By Ciara Beresford

Maresa Dolan, Ballinasloe native, is opening a deli and ice-cream parlour, called Missy’s on the corner of Society Street, where Hills once graced the streetscape.

Maresa is delighted to be adding to the list of new business’ opening in the town.  Maresa, better known to her friends and family as Missy, enjoys this line of work as she is passionate about good food. She originally had a similar business in England called McHugh’s after her mother’s maiden name. Maresa bought the building which was over 200 years old and changed its use to accommodate the business. Her business ended up being very successful and she really enjoyed it.

In 2009, Maresa sold the business and returned home to Ballinasloe with her children Paraic, aged six and Ciara, aged nine as she felt it was time to come home. Before Maresa had a catering business she was and still is a Building Surveyor, where she builds property portfolios for clients. She also added to her studies at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, when she returned home. “Some people from Ballinasloe may have met me when I took a job helping customers at the AIB Bank in Ballinasloe during the summer months. I loved meeting people and helping them in that role”,
added Maresa.

Her most recent job was for Winters Property management in Galway, where she was project manager for all of their developments. “Project managing is an all-consuming role and I felt that a 12 hour day working with engineers and contractors was not what I had returned home to do. I had hoped to spend more time with my husband, Brendan and our children. I wanted to have a job that I would really enjoy”, admitted Maresa. “When Hills Shop came up for rent it brought back fond memories of my childhood in Ballinasloe, of the ice-cream parlour that was there for many years”, mentioned Maresa.

Her parents Michael and Mary Dolan also had a shop and filling station in Cleaghmore or better known as the Ashtree, therefore ice-cream and sweets were always in Maresa’s life. Maresa hopes to bring good quality food to the people of Ballinasloe and at the same time support local suppliers where she can. Missy’s will offer a wonderful range of fresh foods, icecream, old style sweets, great coffee, teas and all of the usual great products you would find in a deli. She emphasises that the products used in Missy’s have been sourced locally where possible. Maresa will also be catering for outside events such as parties and weddings, provide cakes for occasions and also prepare picnic baskets for special lunches. In the near future, Maresa hopes to have a cafe set up in the shop.

​“I would have hoped to have this in place at our opening but planning permission is required and this takes time. We hope to have this in place as soon as we can so customers can sit down and enjoy a coffee and children can have a milkshake or a nickerbokerglory and make more happy memories together”, added Maresa.