Today we’d like to introduce you to Renee Butler.
Hi Renee, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started 23 years ago when my brother wanted to open a restaurant. My then husband had just purchased a building that had a soda fountain in it. I told him that my brother wanted to open a restaurant so I would help him to open it and run it. 3 years in my brother decided he didn’t want to run a restaurant. By this time I had established friendships with the staff and customers. I took it over. This is a true labor of love. Everything I do is from scratch and back like the 1950’s recipes. We are a true old fashioned soda fountain.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The restaurant business is difficult as you never know who will show up for lunch. I am in a historic downtown area and not everyone knows about us. Staff is now my biggest issue.
We’ve been impressed with Another Time Soda Fountain & Cafe, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The soda fountain is the original one that has been in this building since 1912. The building is 116 years old and when I renovated the building I tried to bring it back to original as much as possible. I like to say when you enter my building you “Step back in time”. My food is comfort food and the soda fountain is still used as it was back in the 50’s. I do a soda fountain tour for daycares and anyone who wants to know the history. It is very important to keep the history alive with soda fountains that belonged to such an awesome era! Customers come in to the fountain and look around at all the antiques and remember back to a much simpler time in life. We are open as lunch and early supper from 11-5 Wednesday to Sunday. We actually hired a 50’s soda jerk to teach us how to make sodas and ice cream the proper way. I make an ice cream soda that you only understand if you grew up with them. Our sodas are more syrup and less carbonation, which is the way drinks use to be made before the fancy machines took over. We have true soda jerks who make your drinks and ice cream. They are called that due to the way they make the drinks. I also cater.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Funny that my actual job prior to this was accounting. Never in my life did I think I would do this. However this has been so much fun and I don’t think there is any book that can explain the love I have for this. I believe that the most important part of this business is the comfort of the food and the friendships with my customers
Contact Info:
- Website: https://anothertimesodafountain.com
- Facebook: Another Time Soda Fountain & Cafe
