3rd Street Cafe in Hamburg welcomes new owners.
Chris and Tammy Casper purchased 3rd Street Cafe on Oct. 23 and publicly announced the change in ownership Nov. 10, but word of mouth of the new ownership has been out for awhile.
“There are not going to be any major changes to the Cafe or the menu, maybe a few tweaks to stimulate the interest of our customers,” said Chris.
Previous owners Sherry and Randy Hoffman owned the Cafe for almost 10 years.
“We would like to take this time to thank all of our loyal customers, friends, family and employees who have been with us over the years. We have met so many amazing people who we like to consider our friends,” Sherry and Randy posted on the 3rd Street Cafe Facebook page on Nov. 4. “We have known the Caspers for many years and are happy to have the cafe in their hands.”
Sherry and Randy are staying on cooking to get the Caspers started.
“We hope that you will continue to support 3rd Street Cafe for many years,” posted Sherry and Randy on Facebook.
Chris believes the Cafe dates back to the mid-1990s and was previously owned by three other owners before Randy and Sherry. He said the space originally had been a Wine & Spirits store.
The Caspers and Hoffmans have known each other for 30 years, said Chris.
“I’d say to (Sherry) that if they ever sold the business to let me know,” said Chris.
In February, they approached Chris about his offer. After months of negotiations, everything became final the end of October, said Chris.
“They did a great job with this place,” said Chris. “We’re excited about the whole venture.”
Tammy has worked as a waitress at the Cafe for the past 3 1/2 years. She will continue to waitress while she and Chris run the business. Chris continues to also work full time as a meat buyer for Weis Markets. Not including the owners, there are seven employees.
“We have a great staff here,” said Chris.
Randy and Sherry will continue to cook and assist during the transition. They are training a new cook.
“(The Hoffmans are) a huge part of the success here,” said Chris.
In the future, Chris said they hope to have more family involved in the business.
What Tammy and Chris like about 3rd Street Cafe is its small town atmosphere.
“Every time you come in here you’ll probably know somebody,” Chris said. “It’s not that big franchise atmosphere. It’s 3rd Street Cafe. It’s not a restaurant, it’s a cafe. It’s small, quaint.”
“It’s a gathering place where people can come and meet people, come here and hang out and have a great little breakfast or lunch, day in and day out,” he said. “It’s a family atmosphere here.”
Tammy and Chris plan to keep the Cafe much as it is. The menu will remain the same with a few minor tweaks and additions.
“This has worked so long,” he said about the food.
While the lunch crowd filled the 60-seat Cafe on Wednesday, Nov. 18, Chris explained that 3rd Street Cafe is often busy, especially on Saturday and Sunday with people waiting at the door for an open seat.
“At times you may have to wait a little bit but we focus on the quality of the food,” said Chris.
The Cafe serves breakfast all day. At 11 a.m. they also serve lunch meals, from wraps to hamburgers to hot roast beef and mashed potatoes.
“There’s a nice variety,” he said. “It’s all about the customers. It’s that little town where everybody knows everybody. Do we want to see new faces? Absolutely, we want to see more and more of that.”
They also hope to “spruce up” the cafe, possibly install a new floor and give it a fresh coat of paint.
Hours will remain the same also, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. everyday except Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
3rd Street Cafe is located at 29 South 3rd Street, Hamburg. Follow the Cafe on Facebook at 3rd Street Cafe. Call 610-562-0370.
