BY SAM VISE | FOR THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — Roni’s Mac Bar, downtown Auburn’s newest restaurant, officially opened its doors with a grand opening and ribbon cutting on June 14. Located at 138 N. College St. in Auburn, Roni’s features create-your-own mac and cheese bowls and grilled cheeses.
The company was founded in 2022 in Waco, Texas, by CEO Frank Senese. The idea came to him after he misheard his friend discussing a restaurant — Senese initially believed his friend had visited a restaurant dedicated solely to mac and cheese. It was later clarified that mac and cheese was simply an item on the menu, but the idea stuck with Senese.
He and his wife owned a dessert shop with a vacant space next to it, so Senese decided to turn his idea into reality.
“The best way to look at it is, we’re a build-your-own mac and cheese shop, similar to a Subway or Chipotle, but exclusively mac and cheese,” Senese said. “You throw brisket, barbecue pork and all that stuff in there, and that’s really what we are. We’ve got sandwiches as well, but nothing beats the cheesy goodness of a good ol’ hangover comfort food.”
Roni’s quickly gained a large following on social media, becoming known as “the viral mac and cheese place.” This is thanks in part to their brand ambassador program, through which fans can get rewarded with free food for promoting Roni’s on social media.
The company has particularly blown up on TikTok, attracting over 887,000 followers and more than 40 million likes. Roni’s team members often record themselves building orders, showing viewers the strange requests they receive and giving customers ideas on what to order next.
Katelyn Fair, Auburn location owner and general manager, discovered Roni’s on social media and knew it would be a hit with the local college crowd.
Fair introduced the idea to her father, Keith Henderson, and the pair traveled to Texas to meet Senese and discuss opening a Roni’s in Auburn. Henderson said he was hesitant at first but was on board as soon as he tried the food.
“It just really fell into place,” Fair said. “It was perfect. We spent forever looking for a building, but once we found it, it all fell into place. Location is everything, and we hit the jackpot.”
The pair needed to find a popular location, and to their luck, a building opened up in the heart of downtown Auburn.
“We’re very happy we waited for this location,” Senese said. “There were a few bad locations, and it definitely took some gut feeling. It’s scary, you’re like, ‘Okay, we could be open tomorrow,’ you know? But we held out for this [building], especially right on the main strip.”
Fair accredits their opening success, in part, to the variety of events that downtown Auburn puts on, gaining foot traffic for the new restaurant. Roni’s held a soft opening on June 3, and business has been growing each day, according to Fair and Henderson.
“The Roni’s mission is to enhance the macaroni experience for customizability, which is a fancy way of just saying, we want to have a fun place to eat,” Senese said. “Mac and cheese is a fun comfort food. Just build someone’s perfect bowl. Just being a spot that customers can be like, ‘What’s your Roni’s order?’ It makes you feel good, it’s very specific to the person.”
Fair said that her mission is “to make people smile and keep their bellies full.” She has lived in Auburn her entire life and is grateful to serve food to the community.
Roni’s menu has two options: a mac and cheese bowl or grilled cheese. Either can be customized with the same cheeses (cheddar, pepper jack or gouda) and toppings. Toppings include bacon, grilled chicken, corn, jalapeños, pineapple, various types of sauces and of course, extra cheese.
“Most everything on our menu is gluten free — we have a regular noodle and a gluten-free noodle,” Fair said. “Our chicken does contain gluten and so do our bread crumbs, and ranch is another weird one, but everything else is gluten free.”
They also offer drinks and sides, such as chips, garlic bread and slices of cheesecake. Roni’s also serves kid-sized portions, offers catering and has custom merchandise in each store.
Currently, the hours for Roni’s are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The team is eagerly awaiting football game days in the fall and plan to stay open until 2 a.m. on home game weekends.
What makes Auburn’s store unique, Senese said, “is just the proximity to a school, the walking traffic and just all the other cool things that are around it. We’re not just in our own little area. There’s so much to do here. We’re hoping to add to the street, add to what’s going on here, but also have something that sticks, you know, to give people a variety that’s going to be part of the area. So, the other locations kind of get their own spot and they do well, but I think this group has that one up on everybody else.”
Roni’s does not just offer food, it offers an experience. In the back of the restaurant, customers will find board games and couches where they can hang out while waiting for their food. Roni’s team members prepare each mac and cheese bowl behind a glass counter so that guests can watch.
“I’ve been following Roni’s social media for like three years, and it popped up this morning that y’all were opening soon,” said Matthew Martin, a customer. “I said, ‘I’m coming here.’ I called to see if y’all were open, and that’s the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had.”
With 10 locations nationwide and several other planned, Roni’s is set to continue its rapid expansion, bringing its unique mac and cheese experience to even more communities across the country.
“I want to emphasize that it’s a franchisee,” Senese said. “It’s a local person here that’s from Auburn and knows Auburn, it’s not just a random corporate location that doesn’t care. [Fair and Henderson] are the ones working here every day. They really have their heart in it. They built this with their blood, sweat and tears.”
This hands-on approach, combined with a product that’s both comforting and creative, positions Roni’s Mac Bar to become a staple in Auburn and beyond, promising smiles and full bellies wherever it goes.
