Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Ribar.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Kim. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started out as a carhop at A&W at the age of 16 in 1981, and have waitressed ever since. Little did I realize over the years I was already putting in my time and learning the business. I always kept recipes and wouldn’t share them and would say “I might have a restaurant one day. That was pretty much the business plan, and we opened December 16th, 2010.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the struggles was when Direct TV threatened to sue us for cable piracy. This was odd since it was their company the contracted the company to install their product, and their company that did the billing that billed us for residential instead of commercial. I always paid with a company check. We negotiate from $15,000.00 to $5,500.00. Even though I did nothing wrong, fighting would’ve bankrupt us and put us out of business. I later found out this was a common practice with this company and small businesses across the United States.
Kim & Patty’s Cafe – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Kim & Patty’s Cafe is a cafe that seats approximately 75 people. We are known for our breakfast specials, lunch wraps, homemade chips. Our homemade soup won best soup in McHenry County 2017. We also host bridal and baby showers after we close. Coming into our restaurant is like sitting in your kitchen chatting with your best friend. Our restaurant honors those that have served with over 350 pictures of our military. We’ve created a discount card for those who have served, we thank them every day. I like to think it’s like a big hug from McHenry.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
When a current service man chose us to surprise his mom with an unexpected visit. He had been gone a year in Korea and was supposed to be gone 1 more year, came home a week before her birthday and did the reveal here. Proud American moment, honored and blessed.
Contact Info:
- Address: 731 Ridgeview dr
- Website: Kim & Patty’s Cafe
- Phone: 8153445262
- Email: kimandpattyscafe@comcast.net
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kim-Pattys-Cafe-196259727057822/?ref=bookmarks
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/mchenrycountyliving/videos/10154753993748366/
Image Credit:
McHenry County Living
Joe Nanez
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