Southern flavor with a twist

By ROBYN MINOR, The Daily News

Karen Huffman said she felt pulled toward opening a new restaurant on Old Louisville Road.

“I looked at other places downtown, but I was led here,” Huffman said while sitting at a table last week waiting for the restaurant, McKenzye’s Eatery & Bakery, to open for the first time.

Huffman, who retired as cafeteria manager at Dishman-McGinnis Elementary School last year, opened the restaurant so her son, McKenzye, would have somewhere to work and meet friends. Her other son, Dante, also works at the restaurant and her husband, William, will help out after his day at St. Joseph School as head custodian.

The restaurant is named McKenzye’s after the buoyant 21-year-old who is shy but has never met a stranger. He was giving out big hugs to anyone entering the restaurant early that day.

McKenzye has autism and other learning disabilities. The family moved from Indianapolis to Bowling Green for a better quality of life and education for him.

Huffman said McKenzye’s experiences at school helped him grow. She proudly displays a certificate of appreciation to McKenzye from Bowling Green Independent Schools by the front door of the restaurant. Some of McKenzye’s artwork is displayed on the other side of the door.

“They really embraced him and didn’t see his shortcomings,” she said.

City schools Superintendent Joe Tinius has known the Huffman family since its move here more than a decade ago.

“He has really come a long way,” Tinius said of McKenzye.

McKenzye was an unofficial manager for the Bowling Green High School basketball team, helping at practice and before games.

Tinius said having the restaurant as a place to work and meet people will provide structure for McKenzye and benefit him.

And it will provide good food for the community.

“Karen was great at making sure the children got what they needed” when she managed the school cafeteria, he said. “It was like she was feeding her own family.”

Huffman said she hopes her family’s school and church friends will follow them to the restaurant, which employs eight people now and perhaps more as the business grows.

Huffman has been cooking since age 13; she is 60 now. She describes her cooking style as southern with a twist. She has spring mix on the salad bar, uses only modest amounts of salt and wants to use as little processed food as possible. She will have some pasta dishes in addition to the traditional fried chicken and greens, and she hopes to add some wraps for the college crowd. Customers can get a daily special and two sides for $7.99. A sandwich can be as little as $1.99. A sandwich, drink and a side runs between $5 and $6.

Sister-in-law Lena Hayes said she is proud of her brother and sister-in-law for opening the restaurant. Hayes said she’s been eating Huffman’s food for years and favors her caramel cake the most.

The caramel cake might be one of the items offered in the bakery section of the restaurant. The bakery is dedicated to Huffman’s granddaughter, who died five years ago.

“I hope to expand that (bakery), doing specialty cakes and wedding cakes,” said Huffman, who also has done catering for several years.

Huffman said she expects the made-from-scratch rolls to be a big hit.

For now, Huffman is happy to provide jobs in the community and to impart her knowledge of cooking to her new employees.

“I see a lot of talent in there right now ... if they are just allowed to grow,” she said.

William said his role will be mostly supportive and performing cleanup. When he’s out of school, William said he likely will help with cooking.

McKenzye’s is open from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday “because most of us have families and like to go to church.”

To see a menu, customers have to go to the restaurant in person, although Huffman said eventually they will get a Facebook page.

“But we just aren’t that technology savvy,” she said.

Source: http://www.bgdailynews.com/articles/2011/09/07/features/features1.txt