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Blind Charlie's Cafe has treated patrons to breakfast and lunch for the past nine years, but the restaurant's owner, Laura Lafreniere, 28, has her sights set on the final food frontier: dinner.
"We've talked about doing dinner," Lafreniere said. "It's pretty much like opening a new restaurant."
In the five years she has run the cafe at 74 Westchester Ave., in Pound Ridge, Lafreniere said she has developed her skills. The restaurant has grown from a first-time venture for its original owner to one with an experienced staff.
"When we first opened, the owner, he never had any restaurant experience, so we've kind of just learned as we went and made little changes along the way," Lafreniere said.
Lafreniere did not begin her career in the restaurant business at Blind Charlie's -- it started during college. The Yorktown, N.Y., native went to Maryland to earn a management degree at Salisbury University. She waitressed and got to enjoy a new and fun place. "[Salisbury was a] shot in the dark," Lafreniere said. "It was close to the beach and I ended up falling in love with it."
Lafreniere's favorite food at the cafe is the pulled pork sandwich, but that might change if new dinner dishes are added to the menu. Dinner could also expand the types of beverages served. "We need to decide if we're going to have alcohol or not," Lafreniere said. The cafe does not currently serve alcohol for breakfast or lunch.
Dara Gruskin, who, at 23, is already an eight-year veteran server at the cafe, said she is proud to work with a staff that has come a long way: "We have more of a family [among] the people who work here."
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