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Kola Cafe back to life

Denise Kraemer re-opened the Kola Café nearly eight months ago and has built the business back up. Kraemer’s home is in Melita, but she decided to take on this challenge where she is the chief cook and bottle-washer, server – everything.
Kola cafe
Denise Kraemer, proprietor of the Kola Cafe.

Denise Kraemer re-opened the Kola Café nearly eight months ago and has built the business back up. Kraemer’s home is in Melita, but she decided to take on this challenge where she is the chief cook and bottle-washer, server – everything.

Kraemer is not a permanent fixture, but for now she has taken up residence in Kola.

 “There’s a little building, I’ve rented over here for two years. When that’s up, I’m retiring and going home.”

However, she’s pretty happy in the suite she has rented in Kola.

“I like it here, everyone’s very nice.”

The hamlet is near the Saskatchewan border, south of Elkhorn, with around a dozen homes on tidy looking yards, as well as several agricultural and construction businesses a church and Kola School – all surrounded by farms and pump jacks.

Business revives

The café doors had been closed for a good part of a year when Kraemer re-opened on Nov. 15, 2017. She was dismayed at first.

“When I first started we maybe would have two guys for lunch, maybe none. Now, it’s busier.”

She regularly serves 15 or 20 for lunches. “Lots of people come in for breakfast.”

Recently, for Father’s Day, Kraemer called for reinforcements from her home town of Melita. Danny Roberts, planned to come in to help her. “He’s a chef, I’m just a cook. I let him take the lead.”

But on a regular basis Kraemer is alone and she says she just runs faster when it gets extra busy in her tiny, 35-seat restaurant.

All-day breakfast is on the menu until closing time in the early afternoon. Hamburgers and fries are in high demand, but wraps and bagels are also popular.

Kraemer caters special events or groups and has had visits from Virden’s seniors’ residences, Elkhorn care home, a group from Reston and more.

“This week I’ve got the quilting group from Kola. This is their wind-up.” Sandwiches salads and dessert will be served for that occasion.

In Kola, the café is an oasis for the hungry.

“They really support me well,” says Kraemer. “Lots are coming here again and again.”

She’s not new to the business. “I’ve done restaurants before. This was the hardest one I’ve ever done, because it was closed for a while.”

It was painted, cleaned up and ready to go, but getting the business back was a challenge and she says people still come in, surprised Kola Café is open.

Kraemer hopes, after all her hard work and the great community response, that someone else will come along to serve the community when she retires.

“I’d be disappointed if I got this place filled up and nobody wants to take it.”

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