06/01/2026
Just a little re-introduction 💕 Howdy my names Allie. I bought the building 145 Ames in 2022, although I think some of you think I bought an existing breakfast restaurant. Just clearing it up that I didn’t, I in fact purchased the building, and the family joke is that when we’re too old to cook, we will just turn it back into the bait shop 😉
I bought the building in late 2022 on a land contract. I had less that 5k in the bank the day I signed the paperwork, I had to borrow money from my moms secret stash to cover my first payroll. The building needed some serious repair, we had no working refrigeration I was left with an empty can of Freon and a “good luck.” Tight is an understatement. We were open 7 days a week to keep the money rolling in and make payments, until we were finally in a position in 2024 to buy out the land contract. A huge blessing to be able to outright own 145 Ames Street, the building that has housed so many small businesses, all of which I have eaten at through my childhood. I appreciate and respect the history of the building, while some folks may see it as “the restaurant that never lasts” because of its changing hands over the years, I know the truth, and I know this building has heart.
We could have waited on a remodel, but after how busy we have become in the summertime, I was ready to invest into making all of your experience at the cafe a little smoother. It wasn’t sustainable. What you all see is a business that was open 16 hours a week, if only you knew the other half of it. Hard to imagine the server station you are seeing me leaning on in this photo will be demo’d soon, but we are ready for a serious refresh. I think you’re all going to love it!
What I really want to say to anybody is that no one knows what goes into this until they do it. I had zero experience fully running a cafe, and I have mad respect for anyone who has been an owner operator. It is all embodying, it is full hands on deck. It’s missing family events and concerts and fun stuff. It’s working so hard that by the time anything fun comes your way, you’re too exhausted. Our commitment to homemade has made me crazy at times, watching my mom and husband work ridiculously long hours. My mom gets there most days hours before anyone else to bake bread, make from scratch small batch baked goods (who else thinks she deserves a larger mixer for Christmas 😉) and is often in the dish pit during service because someone couldn’t make it to their shift. My husband Landon, is equally dedicated. He has taken our food from good to great with his unparalleled consistency. He is meticulous in a way that drives me crazy, but you can see it in his food. His care. He started here helping me on dish after we started dating the summer after I bought the building, didn’t really know what he was getting into back then! He essentially learned to cook as he went on the line here. They are my ride or die’s, and I couldn’t do any of this without their extreme love and support.
The natural progression when you start with a food truck is to get a brick and mortar. So funny to be back in our food truck while we remodel. This has been quite a journey, and I am enjoying it. But what I loved about the truck? Less staff. Less headaches. Less fires to put out. I am really considering these things going forward. I am a hospitality veteran, I don’t really understand “kids these days” or even adults, but I’m trying. I may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I care immensely. The staff who does stick around, they’re like family. So I’m getting back to my roots, I’m going to run 145 Ames the way we think is best, and I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens 💕
