Build your own bowl at Roni’s Mac Bar
By RACHEL STRICKLAND | Photos by RACHEL STRICKLAND, WENDY LeVALLEY and RONI’s MAC BAR
What’s better than a bowl of mac and cheese? Maybe a bowl of mac with the cheese, toppings and sauce of your choice.
Touted as the “Viral Mac and Cheese Place,” Roni’s Mac Bar is a unique restaurant where you build your own mac bowl, complete with tons of different cheese and topping options. The owners, Frank and Mary Senese, opened the original location in Union Hall in Waco. After one of their videos went viral on TikTok, they were officially on the map — in fact, Roni’s Mac Bar has become so popular that the Seneses recently began franchising. Thanks to Marissa and Amber Pearson, there are now two new Roni’s locations in Bell County — one in Harker Heights across from Barnes & Noble and one on Fort Cavazos in the Clear Creek Exchange food court.
Marissa and Amber came to own a Roni’s location by chance. Amber saw one of the viral TikTok videos from the original Roni’s Mac Bar account and decided she and her wife, Marissa, had to try it. So, the couple drove to Waco, tried the famous mac, and joined the loyalty program. Then, about a month later, Amber got an email saying the company was starting to franchise. After some discussion, they decided to jump at the opportunity.
“We have nine kids between the two of us,” Marissa said. “Our goal was to build something for our family. We really wanted to quit our jobs and work together.”
The couple filled out the paperwork but were doubtful that they’d be chosen to own a franchise, so they were pleasantly surprised when they received a call from the Seneses, who requested that they go to Waco for an interview.
Marissa said that the Seneses have supported the fact that she and Amber wanted to keep the location as local as possible instead of turning it into a national chain.
“We wanted to make sure that we were in Harker Heights and that we still focus on the community,” she said.
Marissa and Amber each have backgrounds in business, and they’ve both owned companies in the past. Marissa’s first job out of high school was in radio, and she later developed her own company to help build nonprofit radio stations. Meanwhile, Amber owned a business where she handmade baby clothes and cloth diapers. Amber’s educational background is in accounting, while Marissa’s is in business administration. Together, they make the perfect team.
“It’s a learning experience,” Marissa admitted. “I’ve never had restaurant experience, but Amber grew up working in restaurants through college. I know how to manage people, and she knows (how to run) a restaurant. Our experiences complement each other really well.”
Amber and Marissa were picky about the location of their franchise. Their kids are in elementary, middle, and high school in Harker Heights, so it was important for them to stay close to home and give back to the community. Everything worked out, though, because a fro-yo shop went out of business at the end of 2023, and the couple jumped on the spot and signed the lease. The location is situated next to Crumbl Cookies and across from Barnes & Noble, which brings in a lot of organic foot traffic.
“People come in with a cup of coffee from Starbucks, or they have a Crumbl cookie in their hand, and then they get a bowl of mac,” Marissa said. “So, we’re doing a lot of trade business with those around us. They’re excited that we’re here, and we’re excited to be here.”
Marissa said they have a great deal of freedom when it comes to how they run their location, including their T-shirt designs, community events and special dishes. They have a specialty mac bowl called the Heights Bowl, which is made of cheddar, jalapeño, corn, brisket and bacon, with buffalo and ranch sauces on top. She said they plan on starting some community-focused events soon.
“We want to start trivia nights, and we want to do study nights for the college students and the high schoolers,” she added.
Marissa said they love to give students employment opportunities, and half of their staff are Harker Heights High School students. She believes it’s a great first job because there isn’t a huge menu to memorize.
“They get excited if we challenge them,” she said.
She explained that the company standard to make a mac bowl in its entirety is five minutes, but getting it into the oven is only three, so she and Amber challenge their employees to do it in under a minute without losing quality.
“They practice over and over again, and at the end, we have a bell (for them to ring),” Marissa added. “I think our best right now is 31 seconds.”
The grand opening of the Harker Heights location took place in May, and it had a fantastic turnout, including appearances from the mayor and other city officials.
“We had people lined up since 12:30 in the morning,” Marissa said. “Our team rocked it out. They were steady the entire time and they proved what they can do. The community showed up for us, and it was a great turnout.”
The addition of Roni’s Mac Bar in Heights has already proven to be a positive one for the community.
“Even though we’re a franchise, our goal is to be a community-oriented place,” Marissa said. “We are Harker Heights, and so is our business.”
RONI’S MAC BAR
Address: 201 E. Central Texas Expressway, Suite 1360, Harker Heights
Instagram: @ronismacbarhh
Phone: 254-218-3824
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday-Saturday
