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Longtime Kent Restaurant Still Sporting Its Historic Look
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: August 9, 2011
From the outside you might not even know it’s a restaurant, but Pufferbelly Ltd. in downtown Kent has been serving up a variety of tasty dishes for quite some time.
Located at 152 Franklin Ave., Tom Roehl and George Lewis opened the restaurant in 1981 in a building that once served as the main railway depot in the area.
Since then Kent has undergone a major transformation, but Pufferbelly has survived.
“We’ve had our ups and downs over the years, but you have to stay sharp, deliver a good product and service, and hopefully they will keep coming back,” said Kevin Long, who bought the restaurant in January 2008 during the height of the downturn.
Long was not a stranger to Pufferbelly. He knew the owners and the business very well. In fact, you might say he had been working his way up since he began as a cook in 1983.
“Before I started at Pufferbelly, I worked in the Schwebel Room at Kent State University, so I got to work under different chefs in different departments,” said Long. “One of the chefs I had worked with at the Schwebel Room was working at Pufferbelly, and told me about the job so I decided to come over.
“I learned my way around the kitchen, and when he left I took his job.”
Long later moved up to general manager, which he said gave him a chance to learn the other side of the business, including accounting and payroll. “I knew if I was ever going to own my own place, I would need to know it all,” Long said.
He got his chance when Roehl and Lewis decided to sell in 2007. “I knew it was coming,” said Long. “They owned two other stores (Pufferbellys), one in Erie, Pennsylvania, and another in Berea, Ohio and they had already sold those, so I figured this one was next. When they asked me if I was interested, I thought it was a great opportunity, and so I went for it.”
While he has done some maintenance work, Long said he has been careful not to alter the historical look on the outside or inside. He still maintains some of the same options that have been on the menu since day one, including Chicken Pufferbelly, the San Francisco Beef sandwich, and a variety of quiche, which are made fresh daily.
“I would describe the menu as American with an international flare,” said Long, who offers French, Italian, and Mexican selections. “Ninety-nine percent of everything is made here; our soups, sauces, and desserts.”
Long has added more salads, wraps, and a very popular entrée, Bourbon Apple Pork Porterhouse. He also came up with the idea for the Train Wreck Brownie Sundae, which is not light on calories.
“I was thinking about a new dessert, and I had different ideas and recipes in mind. I went home and slept on it, and woke up the next day with the ‘Train Wreck.’ It’s a brownie with peanut morsels, butterscotch, and chocolate chips, and it’s served with vanilla bean ice cream and topped with chocolate and homemade peanut sauce.”
“It is hard for a restaurant with a strong physical theme to continue to be fresh in the market,” said Roehl. “One of the best ways to do so is to serve quality food, while continuing to add new items to the menu. When my partner and I owned Pufferbelly, we always had a number of special entrees and desserts augmenting the menu daily.”
Pufferbelly is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, offering a brunch buffet on Sundays. It has a seating capacity of 104 people and a full-service bar that has room for another 20 customers.
The restaurant also handles special events like class reunions, weddings, rehearsal dinners, etc., as well as featuring specialty cuisine weekends that are timed to coincide with holidays and other occasions.
“We have a clam bake, an Oktoberfest, a Mexican weekend around Cinco de Mayo, and an Italian weekend, where we offer authentic homemade wedding soup, manicotti, etc.
“We have seasonal drinks that are created for the summer, fall and winter. For example, we have a wild berry nut freeze which has hazelnut liqueur, a fresh wild berry blend and vanilla ice cream.”
There are between 45 to 50 employees, many who have been there for years, and a couple like Shirley Beach, who have been there from the beginning.
“I love being a waitress here,” said Beach. “It’s a very homey atmosphere. You can come in wearing shorts or a suit and you will feel like you are sitting in your own living room.
“We have memorabilia hanging from the ceilings, horse and buggy carriages, canoes, and pictures everywhere. The customers are really friendly. Many of them know my name, and when it’s my birthday they bring me flowers and gifts. Management is great too. When you find something you like, you stick with it.”
Long said one of the secrets to running a successful business is hiring the right people.
“We’re like a family after working together for so many years. It makes things a lot easier when you have employees who care,” said Long.