New cafe brings breakfast to Fruitland

Tina Burger has plenty of experience running a restaurant.

Along with her husband, Carl, she had operated Pokey's Pub and Grill in Pocahontas for around six years. Now she's started a new dining endeavor called Sonny Side Cafe, named after her late father, Bennie "Sonny" Kimbel.

The restaurant, at 5512 U.S. 61 in Fruitland, opened Jan. 22 and employs a staff of seven.

Running a cafe differs from running a pub, Burger said. The menu is different, with a larger focus on breakfast items and early-morning hours to match.

"Everybody in this area wants breakfast," Burger said. "This is a community that likes their breakfast, and there's no other breakfast places here unless you go to a gas station."

Sonny Side Cafe features spacious seating and an expansive menu. The Fruitland restaurant opened Jan. 22.Christopher Borro

Some of the breakfast items on the menu include coffee, eggs, omelets, breakfast burritos, breakfast sandwiches and pancakes.

Many of Burger's customers ate at Pokey's, and some fan-favorite menu items, such as marinated grilled chicken sandwiches and chicken wings, have returned at Sonny Side.

Some customers, especially early-morning ones, have turned into repeat customers.

"When we open our doors at 6 in the morning, we've usually got four or five of them (customers) waiting to come in," she said.

Burger renovated the building when she opened Sonny Side, adding church pew benches and spacing out tables. Her granddaughter and niece made artwork to display on the cafe's walls.

Another feature of the restaurant is a pickup window still in progress. Burger said it would prove convenient for diners who want their meals on the go.

Burger didn't do much in the way of advertising the first few weeks. Now, she has a Facebook page for the restaurant and is working on a website where people can place online orders.

"The first week we just brought in family one night and friends one night so the girls (servers) could get a feel for everything and how it was going to go," she said.

Burger praised the work her employees have done. They keep her up to date on which menu items are selling well and other customer feedback.

"They do an amazing job. Everything is done when I come in and they've got everything pretty much set up for breakfast the next morning," she said.

Burger said she wants the cafe to have a family atmosphere and is even thinking of hosting special event menus for holidays.

Diners are also free to suggest their own ideas for menu items.

"We're excited to get going with it, build it and grow with the community," Burger said.

Sonny Side Cafe is open every day. It is open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., with breakfast served until 10:30 a.m., from Monday to Saturday. The restaurant opens at 10:30 a.m. and closes at 2 p.m. Sunday, serving only lunch.

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