by David Chapman
Staff Writer
Bread and Butter Cafe is trying to make Valentine’s Day a little more special for some troops overseas, and it wants the community’s help in spreading the goodwill.
Along the wall of the cafe located on the corner of Laura and Adams is a wall-sized Valentine that the staff is encouraging patrons and community members to sign. The card has almost 30 signatures and the hope, according to manager Al Mulkey, is to get signatures covering 99 percent of the surface.
“We tried something similar in the past but it didn’t go as well as we hoped,” he said. “But this time it’s really taking off.”
The signature campaign will go out to day care centers and local schools, with the hope that children will come and sign. If they do, Mulkey said, the children would receive a sweet incentive. But you don’t have to be a child to sign, and Mulkey encourages everyone to stop by.
“One of our guys is in the military and he thought it’d be a good idea to try,” said CEO and COO Kevin Grant, who helped open the cafe in August. “So far a lot of people are coming in.”
The card will be up until Feb. 9 and then will be shipped off to an active troop serving duty in the Middle East. Grant and Mulkey both said they wanted to send the card to an active troop that wouldn’t be able to spend the day with loved ones.
But while people are stopping in to sign, they are also picking up a donut, bagel or coffee, too. The promotion has helped sales a little, said Grant, but not as much as an event that wasn’t in their hands.
“When Firehouse Subs (in the nearby Police and Fire Pension building) closed, it was definitely a boost,” said Grant. “The real key is to continue getting our name out there.”
Patrons have been requesting more items, and Grant said the cafe’s menu will continue to grow. More soups, sandwiches and breads will continue to appear, he said.
But might there be more Bread and Butters on the way?
“I’m still playing it by ear,” said Grant, “but we’ve been looking at different locations. Downtown has been great so far and you can see the potential and growth taking place every day.”
Continuing with the holiday theme, Grant also said the cafe plans on having specialty donuts for Valentine’s Day for customers, but he hopes to supply some troops with a large — and fully decorated — Valentine’s message.
“We just want everyone to come down and sign,” he said. “It’s going to be a nice present.”
The Bread Butter Cafe and Valentine’s Day card are located on the corner of Laura and Adams streets, and hours are 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday to Friday and 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 350-2901.