Zach Dinicola, the Kansas native behind the viral social media success of Mr. Mixer, got started with equal parts curiosity and spite. Now, Dinicola runs a KitchenAid mixer repair business in Augusta, Kansas, employing five technicians and servicing machines sent to them from every state and even one from Australia.
In 2019, with an eye for value, Dinicola purchased a KitchenAid mixer at a yard sale for under $20. The iconic stand mixers are favorites among chefs and can run anywhere from $250 to $700.
“They swore up and down: ‘It works! It works!’” Dinicola says. “But sure enough, I got it home and it didn’t. So out of spite, I decided that I was going to fix it, and I went to YouTube University.”
He didn’t find much more online than folks like him trying to figure it out as they went. So figure it out he did. Dinicola says he has spent more than 1,000 hours tinkering with KitchenAid machines and learning their ins and outs. After repairing and selling the first one, he acquired more damaged machines and started to see an opportunity.
“I was like, ‘Hold up, if people are selling broken machines, people probably have other mixers at home that just need to be repaired,” he says. “I did a little advertising and started getting some local business.”
Dinicola started a TikTok account called Mr. Mixer and made three or four videos. “Then, in October of 2019, one of my videos exploded overnight and I had a million views and 30,000 new followers.” He saw that there was an interest and a much broader market for his work, so he formed his LLC in 2020 and ran with it.
Dinicola’s success comes from a mixture of personality, trust and goodwill. Through Mr. Mixer’s social media presence, the intimate knowledge and care of these machines imbues the viewer with faith in Dinicola’s work. He is also dedicated to fighting “throwaway culture” through self-education and repair. Dinicola and crew offer a lifetime warranty package for its repairs. “It may seem pricey,” he says, “but it can easily extend the life of the machine out to 20 or so years.”
In addition, Dinicola has invented a number of attachments for sale that can help with everyday mixer operations. Dinicola says that his work highlights the longevity and solid construction of the KitchenAid mixer. However, the KitchenAid company has made no official attempts to partner with him, he says.
Mr. Mixer’s Perfect Day in KC
Festival Time: Dinicola loves doing things with his wife and two kids, and his perfect day reflects it. “We try to make it out to the Renaissance Festival, so I would put that on the list,” he says. “It is a great community of people out there. No one has any ill intent for anyone—just fun and joy. I am a big people watcher, so seeing everyone there in their costumes is a blast.”
Birthday Party: Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant in Crown Center was the perfect spot to celebrate Dinicola’s son’s third birthday. Ordering with the old rotary phones and having their food delivered on model train tracks was a blast. When I asked him why it was on his list, Dinacola says: “My son loves trains, so he loved it. That was easily my son’s best day in Kansas City.”
Drinks: Dinicola loves the Yard House. “I am a big craft beer guy, and they have over 100 taps, so that’s a great experience for me.”
