Longtime loyal customers include (left to right) Frank Brown, Jim and Inez Whitlow, Ralph and Rosemary Smith, Joe Woodfin, Linda Jones, Melle Mayo, Howard and Shirley Mayo, and Daniel Grandy.

Making a success of yourself in the restaurant business is no easy task: many restaurants find themselves closing their doors in three years or less. Making it to twenty-five years, then – as local restaurant Klara’s Kitchun has – is certainly a cause for celebration.

And the Klara’s Kitchun employees will be celebrating: from June 19 through July 3, the restaurant will offer a dollar off all entrees, birthday cake for desert, and balloons for kids. In addition, drawings for dinner for two will be held twice a week.

The restaurant first opened its doors at the corner of Harrowgate Rd. in 1983 under the ownership of Jeff Mitchell, offering home-cooked meals made from scratch with recipes handed down through the family. “Originally, when we opened, Jeff had the idea to use Mom’s name and recipes for the restaurant – recipes from her, her mom, her sisters, and others in the family,” Joan Mitchell, who joined the business several years after its opening, says. Over the years, the menu has undergone very few changes. “Every time we review the menu and try to think of what doesn’t sell well, we can’t think of too many items!”

In fact, the most major change the restaurant has seen was Jeff Mitchell's decision to change locations eight years ago, from Harrowgate Rd. to the Water Tower Shopping Center. “That was a major ordeal,” says Mitchell. “We moved up here for more space and parking.”

Still, Klara’s Kitchun has remained rather steady for a restaurant that’s spent over two decades in business. Family matriarch Klara retired last year, but many others in the family still stay involved. Mitchell says, “My older sister Velma helps with the register and serves as waitstaff; my sister Wanda helps with the register, keeps the books, and does prep work, and my niece, Nadine, helps with prep work and runs the register.”

Much of the business Klara’s Kitchun sees is from regulars, though Mitchell admits, “We’re surprised at how many are coming here to eat for the first time!” Some, like Chesterite Ruth Jordan, have been coming since the restaurant opened. “I like the menu,” she says. “And I like the cooking. I often go down there for special things.” Harold and Bennie Ann Taylor, who have been Klara’s customers for 22 years, rave about the friendly atmosphere and “the fact that you can get real, home-cooked seasonal veggies!” Bill Croxton adds, “The friendship is great, the food is excellent, and you can get a great variety there.” Other regulars praise Klara’s prices, service, and generous portions.

Eating in at Klara’s Kitchun isn’t the only option, however; the restaurant is currently building up a catering service for groups over 25, and offers boxed lunches (including a sandwich, side vegetable, dessert, and beverage). 

It may mean a lot of work for the Klara’s Kitchun team, but they find the experience to be more than rewarding. Mitchell says, “We love the compliments that we get from customers and that they enjoy the food so much.”

Klara’s Kitchun is located at 11360 Iron Bridge Rd. and is open Tuesdays-Fridays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturdays, 4-9 p.m., and Sundays, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. For more information, call 796-3737.

ereel@villagepublishing.com | 751-0421

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