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Garlic green beans are the customer favorite at Tomato Caf茅, although the vegetarian posole is a close second in popularity. The sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Italian buffet-style caf茅 has stayed in business through location changes, a change in ownership and some pandemic pivots 鈥� not an easy task for a buffet concept.

Tomato Caf茅 celebrates 30 years in business in July. The caf茅 was opened by Deborah Gagnon in 1993. After seeing steakhouses and other fine dining establishments hit hard in the late 鈥�80s, she wanted a recession-proof restaurant concept, said current owner Kurt Wagner.

鈥淭he customer base of Tomato Caf茅 is a very loyal one, and I think the big thing that Tomato Caf茅 is founded off of is that consistency,鈥� Wagner said. 鈥淢ost everybody that comes in, they鈥檒l talk to you about how their parents brought them here when they were little kids, and now they鈥檙e bringing their kids, some grandkids.鈥�

The menu features salads, soups, pizza, pasta and desserts, like the homemade tiramisu.

Wagner started as a server at the caf茅 in 1996. He quickly worked his way up to general manager, but eventually left to become a food broker, the middleman between food wholesalers and manufacturers. Wagner purchased Tomato Caf茅 in 2018, accomplishing a long-term goal.

But after a lease could not be renewed, it took almost a year before the restaurant could open in a new location.

鈥淲e were able to open up February of 2019, and then COVID hit a year later,鈥� Wagner said. 鈥淭hat was tough because our concept is all-you-can-eat and people know us for all-you-can-eat.鈥�

The restaurant offered pizzas to go and found other to-go options to try and keep the business going.

鈥淵ou learned a lot and learned about your character,鈥� Wagner said. 鈥淵ou learned about your customers, how much they appreciate you. There鈥檚 a lot to be said for our customers because there were a lot of people that supported us, and I鈥檓 just very thankful that we鈥檙e open, and it鈥檚 a testament to the previous owner and the relationships she really developed.鈥�

Despite location changes and pandemic challenges, the caf茅 maintains consistency by cooking the same recipes. Loyal employees like kitchen manager Adam Smith, who has been running the kitchen for at least a decade, also help maintain consistent quality, said Wagner.

Tomato Caf茅 is located at 7900 San Pedro NE.