SCIPIO - Debbie Cook has the right last name to be a restaurateur.
Sarah Condon / Special to The Citizen
Debbie Cook and her youngest daughter, Amy, 15, work together at Nana's Restaurant. While Cook prepares the food, Amy takes customer's orders.
Debbie Cook and her youngest daughter, Amy, 15, work together at Nana's Restaurant. While Cook prepares the food, Amy takes customer's orders.
“I just love to cook and bake,” Cook said.
At Nana's Restaurant, located on Route 34B between Scipioville and Poplar Ridge, Cook can practice that love with a menu full of breakfast, lunch, dinner and desert items. She opened Nana's in early July and the restaurant has since built a reputation among travelers and workers in the area who want a home-cooked meal without traveling too far.
“It's perfect - it's quiet and nice, and kind of makes you feel like you're at home,” said Jody Pettit, of Venice, after ordering a cheeseburger and fries for lunch.
The restaurant has the look of a home as well. The ceilings are low but not limiting, and the wooden support beams on the white walls convey a cozy atmosphere. The fireplace sitting in the corner completes the feeling.
Several years ago, Cook had her eye on this space in the sparse region of Scipio, but only recently did a real estate agent contact her about moving in to start her restaurant. The prominent bar in the center of the
So far Cook's customer base has consisted of area farmers and highway department employees. She looks forward to the start of the school season, when faculty at Poplar Ridge High and Elementary Schools will likely look nearby for lunch. But for now, her restaurant remains steadily occupied by other local workers.
“It's very close, convenient, and it's home-cooked good food and the prices are reasonable,” said Bill Cox, who runs the Scipioville Garage just north on Route 34B. “I just like to get away from the phone and talk with someone.”
While Cook tends to stay in the kitchen, her daughter, Amy Schemerhorn, has spent countless hours this summer helping Cook get Nana's off the ground by taking orders and busing tables.
“I like spending the time with my mom and the other people here,” Amy said.
Although her restaurant experience prior to opening Nana's is mostly restricted to waitressing and dishwashing, Cook came ready to prepare all the food at her own restaurant. This eagerness to succeed in restaurant entrepreneurship has been Cook's strongest asset in operating Nana's.
“If grandma didn't teach it to me, I taught myself by observing,” Cook said.
Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
At Nana's Restaurant, located on Route 34B between Scipioville and Poplar Ridge, Cook can practice that love with a menu full of breakfast, lunch, dinner and desert items. She opened Nana's in early July and the restaurant has since built a reputation among travelers and workers in the area who want a home-cooked meal without traveling too far.
“It's perfect - it's quiet and nice, and kind of makes you feel like you're at home,” said Jody Pettit, of Venice, after ordering a cheeseburger and fries for lunch.
The restaurant has the look of a home as well. The ceilings are low but not limiting, and the wooden support beams on the white walls convey a cozy atmosphere. The fireplace sitting in the corner completes the feeling.
Several years ago, Cook had her eye on this space in the sparse region of Scipio, but only recently did a real estate agent contact her about moving in to start her restaurant. The prominent bar in the center of the
So far Cook's customer base has consisted of area farmers and highway department employees. She looks forward to the start of the school season, when faculty at Poplar Ridge High and Elementary Schools will likely look nearby for lunch. But for now, her restaurant remains steadily occupied by other local workers.
“It's very close, convenient, and it's home-cooked good food and the prices are reasonable,” said Bill Cox, who runs the Scipioville Garage just north on Route 34B. “I just like to get away from the phone and talk with someone.”
While Cook tends to stay in the kitchen, her daughter, Amy Schemerhorn, has spent countless hours this summer helping Cook get Nana's off the ground by taking orders and busing tables.
“I like spending the time with my mom and the other people here,” Amy said.
Although her restaurant experience prior to opening Nana's is mostly restricted to waitressing and dishwashing, Cook came ready to prepare all the food at her own restaurant. This eagerness to succeed in restaurant entrepreneurship has been Cook's strongest asset in operating Nana's.
“If grandma didn't teach it to me, I taught myself by observing,” Cook said.
Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
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Farmer's Gal wrote on Aug 23, 2007 7:54 AM: