Business & Tech
Business Spotlight: Country Kitchen
Owner says customers' love for the food is what makes her job worthwhile.
Southeast-Brewster Patch (SBP) is launching a new business feature. For the first entry, we sat down with (CK) owner Christine McNeill for a question-and-answer session on the relatively-new establishment:
SBP: How long has Country Kitchen been in business?
CK: We opened March 9, 2009. I’ve had a catering business for 28 years. I was looking for a home for my catering business, a place to put my own kitchen. County Kitchen used to be the Village Bike Shop, and when we looked at the size of the place we realized that we couldn’t just store things here.
Find out what's happening in Southeast-Brewsterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Poof — the next thing I know I open up my doors and we have a restaurant and all of the sudden catering comes second. It was not my plan.
SBP: So what’s up with your catering business now?
Find out what's happening in Southeast-Brewsterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
CK: I’ve been more concentrated on the restaurant for the past two years. This year, now that I have Country Kitchen down pat, we’re moving on to bring catering back into my business. I was so absorbed with the restaurant that I couldn’t do both. I like to do things well, I don’t like to do more than I can handle.
SBP: What makes Country Kitchen a unique restaurant?
CK: It’s a simple menu, it’s not complicated. It’s nice little combinations. We do breakfast all day. We also do little touches that change dishes slightly. We make a vanilla butter for our pancakes, not a plain butter. We have a banana syrup and apple syrup, and our French Toast has vanilla and cinnamon and buttermilk — it’s just really delicious.
SBP: What is one of the toughest challenges you face here?
CK: Employees — keeping this place staffed. It’s small. When you have a large place and you hire 20 people and you’re down one, it’s no big deal. When you have four and you’re down one, it hurts.
SBP: What is the most rewarding thing about being a business owner?
CK: The satisfaction of the customers. They love the food, and that’s what works for me — that’s what drives me. It’s people leaving Country Kitchen and saying ‘Oh my god, that was delicious.’
I tell everybody constantly ‘You’re my friends, you’re coming over and I’m making something to eat.’ That’s the kind of atmosphere I want. It’s been rewarding that I’ve been to be able to give that comfortable feeling.
Have a business in mind for our next spotlight? Email Ashley.Tarr@Patch.com with your suggestion.
