Recognized for its $4 particular, it’s all the time time for breakfast at Julianna’s

KALAMAZOO, MI — In 1988, Sandy Bloomfield and her husband had been employed to wash out a vacated restaurant in preparation for promoting the constructing.

They ended up shopping for the constructing themselves.

Situated on Lake Avenue at its intersection with the I-94 enterprise loop, the constructing had initially been a Burger Chef, one of many Kalamazoo’s first fast-food eating places. It then cycled by means of a number of different reincarnations earlier than the Bloomfields took possession.

“Each my husband and I got here from a household of entrepreneurs, so it was solely pure that we opened our personal enterprise,” Bloomfield stated.

The brand new enterprise was named Julianna’s Restaurant, in honor of Sandy Bloomfield’s mom, a Nebraska farm spouse and mom of 10 who was referred to as a wonderful prepare dinner and baker.

The Bloomfields strove to create a restaurant that mirrored Julianna: Homestyle consolation meals served with love in a welcoming surroundings.

“I constructed this enterprise on service and product,” Bloomfield stated. “What individuals need is an efficient product with good service at a superb worth.”

It’s been a profitable system. Greater than three many years later, Julianna’s continues to thrive.

“My oldest was 6 months outdated once we opened,” Bloomfield stated. “He’s now 35. … Each my boys grew up proper right here within the kitchen in a playpen.”

The boys additionally grew up alongside a workers that features individuals there from the beginning who’re nonetheless there at this time.

“My prepare dinner has been with me because the day we opened,” Bloomfield stated. “He began out as a dishwasher and is now my foremost line prepare dinner. My supervisor out entrance has been with me since she was 17, and he or she’s now 42.”

One other worker labored for years at Julianna’s, then moved to run the kitchen at a Battle Creek restaurant owned by the Bloomfields. When the Battle Creek restaurant closed, the worker got here again to Julianna’s.

“I’ve bought longevity with plenty of my workers,” Bloomfield stated. “I all the time say, if somebody on the waitstaff quits, they ultimately come again.”

Simply as loyal are the shoppers, she stated. Greater than half of her prospects are regulars, so well-known at Julianna’s that the waitstaff merely asks: “The standard?”

The “typical” as of late is sort of all the time breakfast. As soon as open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Julianna’s now serves simply breakfast and lunch, and most of the lunch orders are breakfast entrees, Bloomfield stated.

The breakfast menu is intensive. The “on a regular basis particular” is 2 eggs, toast and low for $4. Among the many hottest dishes are the Greek Hobo Skillet ($12.99) — bacon, spinach, onion, hash browns, melted feta topped with two eggs and hollandaise sauce. One other buyer favourite is the Tater Tot Casserole ($12.99) — tater tots lined with chorizo sausage, gravy and cheddar topped with two eggs.

Julianna’s additionally incorporates a vary of different breakfast dishes — a collection of omelets, hash-brown casseroles, breakfast sandwiches, breakfast burritos and tacos, pancakes, French toast, biscuits and gravy and eggs Benedict.

The costliest merchandise on the menu is steak and eggs ($15.99), which incorporates an 8-ounce strip steak, three eggs, potatoes and toast.

“We’ve bought massive biscuits!” the menu says. They’re selfmade and $3.99. An alternative choice is the cinnamon sugar donuts, additionally $3.99.

The lunch menu is extra cursory: A collection of sandwiches, wraps and burgers, selfmade soup of the day, a build-your-own salad possibility and baskets of fried shrimp, clams or hen.

At $12.99, the new roast beef sandwich is the most costly possibility on the lunch menu.

The inside of Julianna’s is traditional diner, with just a few massive spherical tables that lend themselves to bigger teams. Many of the patrons are senior residents, however Julianna’s does have a kids’s menu.

Now nearly 63, Bloomfield is now making some extent of taking extra holidays along with her husband and is pondering more durable about retirement. However she gained’t depart till she will be assured the restaurant will keep open in good fingers, she stated.

“Enterprise may be very, superb,” Bloomfield stated. “We’re actually busy. I’m very blessed and I’m so grateful to the Lord that I’ve good well being and such good, loyal prospects.”

Julianna’s is positioned at 2105 Lake St.; cellphone is 269-345-0220. Click on right here for the web site. Hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays by means of Fridays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays and eight a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays.

The restaurant takes bank cards, however expenses a 3.5% price for doing so.

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