by David Chapman
Staff Writer
When the Jaguars play well, business is generally good for Dave and Carol Kanaszka. When they don’t — well, it’s not so great for the owners of Jagmania, a professional and college sports gear store with a heavy emphasis on the hometown NFL team.
Combine the recent down season with the overall economic conditions, and the result isn’t cause for celebration — unless it’s their latest and non-retail business endeavor, the opening of Celebrations Diner.
“Retail is down, period,” said Carol Kanaszka, “but everybody eats, especially if it’s reasonably-priced and good food.”
Dave Kanaszka agreed and said he knows there’s both a need and demand for places that cater to people who enjoy homestyle cooking.
“That’s what people like,” he said. “I know that’s what I like.”
The restaurant offers a daily breakfast and lunch buffet, both with drinks included, for under $6 and $8 respectively. It also has a full menu of appetizers, sandwiches, platters and specialty plates, including the joint’s most popular feature item to date: a deep fried turkey sandwich.
“The only one in town,” said Dave Kanaszka, smiling.
Though their experience has been on the retail side of the business for close to 15 years, jumping into the restaurant business has been a challenge. Both said the endeavor was to diversify their ventures in all types of economic seasons.
But, there are similarities between the businesses.
“It’s definitely different than retail,” said Dave Kanaszka. “Still, at the end of the day, it’s about providing great customer service and a quality product ... that’s what sells in both.”
The restaurant’s location, near numerous business parks and main corridors, helps drive business. However, Dave Kanaszka also markets and does business via computer. Each morning, he sends an e-mail listing buffet items and the daily special to entice customers to stop in. He also takes to-go orders the same way.
While the two have entered the restaurant business, the retail aspect of their lives isn’t going anywhere just yet.
Dave will run the day-to-day operations for Celebrations Diner while Carol will handle the Jagmania duties. Additionally, they have a third business venture: Celebrations, Event Planning Specialists, which uses the restaurant’s fares for catering as well as Dave Kanaszka’s videography and disc jockey skills for events.
Running each of the businesses can be time consuming, but the two always make time for the weekends. Both are heavily involved in their church, St. Patrick’s Catholic, and cited their faith and dedication as aiding both their personal and professional lives.
As their initial business, Jagmania, might indicate, the two are also big Jaguars fans — two of the biggest, they say — and never miss a game. Like great players throughout NFL history, Dave Kanaszka was selected and enshrined into the fan-only exhibit of the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in 2000 for his fandom.
It’s that type of passion the Kanaszkas exude that goes into the product and already has customers coming back as regulars to the diner. Now they’re looking to increase the restaurant’s fan base.
“We’re self starters and when we decide to do something, we go at it,” said Dave Kanaszka. “I think when people give us (Celebrations Diner) a try, they’ll see it’s a good product.”
Celebrations Diner is located at 7035-3 Phillips Highway and is open Monday–Friday from 6 a.m.–3 p.m. For more information, go to www.celebrationsdiner.com.
356-2466