The name and menu remains the same; even the uplifting decor of the Chatham Street Cafe will look familiar to customers – a fact that the new owners are counting on.

Monday, April 17, 2000

The name and menu remains the same; even the uplifting decor of the Chatham Street Cafe will look familiar to customers – a fact that the new owners are counting on.

No strangers to food service, Elaine Wilcox and Sherry Christopherson bought the business on March 15 and reopened the doors March 20. Wilcox used to own The Gingerbread House, where Buzz’s Coffee Cafe and Lounge is now housed. The pair has known each other since childhood and have been partners in a catering service in Austin for about five years, before taking joint ownership of the cafe.

Patte and Marc Kraske and Jeannette and Nick Lindgren owned Chatham previously.

Cafe patrons will be pleased to know the menu has changed only slightly. In keeping many of the Kraskes’ and Lindgrens’ favorite recipes, the offerings strive to be somewhat eclectic and definitely delectable.

Describing the selections available, Wilcox said the menu is sort of backroads but cosmopolitan at the same time.

"The hope is the food makes it a destination," Wilcox said. "The food is not so out of the ordinary that people won’t try it, but it’s not something you’d see in Austin. It’s not a repeat of what you can find elsewhere."

Everything from the cafe’s dishes to dessert is made on-site, using homemade recipes. Christopherson said there is a real effort made to not use bulk-food service products.

One new addition, one much like that found at The Gingerbread House, are the antiques and collectables for sale at the Chatham Street Cafe. Displayed in a subtle fashion, the items add a unique atmosphere to the establishment.

So far, the large base of new and repeat customers like what they see at the cafe.

"We’ve been pleased with the reception we’ve gotten and we look forward to growing and vary the menu and try new things," Wilcox said.

For those looking to receive some of Wilcox and Christopherson’s cooking at a different level, the catering portion of Chatham serves a personalized menu that customers can dictate.

"What we can offer as caterers reminds me of interior decorating," Wilcox said, adding that the end result is largely a combination of customer input and Chatham’s cooking.

"It’s really a hobby turned into a business," Christopherson said. "Our past experience has really helped."

In the very near future, Chatham plans to offer theme dinners one weekend each month, starting in May. On the third Friday and Saturday of the month, Chatham will serve a menu with varied items, such as a southern spring theme.

The hope is to make the dinners an ongoing thing, much like the cafe remains – a little break from more of the same.