![]() And when he steps through the door, Reinecker knows exactly what he wants. He'll stop in for breakfast and is very fond of the German sausage the café serves. It's the place he goes to get reconnected in his community after traveling. He appreciates the fact that this young woman would remain in town and open a business on Main Street. Perhaps because Reinecker was his student assistant when he was the local art teacher, he has a soft spot for the Harvest Café. They know how to get people off the highway they are personable and care about people," said Honeycutt. There is Jim’s Appliance, which is a great model for a small-town business. ![]() There is Knackies and Main Street Pizza, along with the Harvest Café. "It’s inside the grocery store and restaurants where people meet, bond and talk. He noted that a small town needs two major things to thrive - a grocery store and a restaurant. The small town's charm is appreciated, but what's also in this town's favor is its location along K-61, halfway between McPherson and Hutchinson. He has served two terms on the City Council and currently is on the school board. Now, despite the fact his work as a technology integration specialist for school districts keeps him on the road about 300 days a year, Inman is home for Honeycutt and his family. As he walked along the Mayberry-like Main Street, he sensed residents really cared about the town. He first arrived for a job interview with the school district after college. Kevin Honeycutt has chosen to live in Inman. “This town is great for supporting each other,” said Bundy. Though she lived in Colorado for a period of her life, she returned in recent years to be close to her aging parents.īundy appreciates the way neighbors help each other clean up after a storm and check on each other when they're ill. “People care,” said Bundy, who was sitting at the big, round table where the lady coffee drinkers regularly gather. They mirror the local Chamber of Commerce's description of Inman as "a place people choose to call home." ![]() It doesn't take the locals sitting inside the café very long to come up with words to describe what makes their town special. “Nothing is store-bought here,” said Albert Balzer, a faithful regular who has been supporting the café through the various owners. Anymore, she's happy to head up the baking crew. Ratzlof and her husband owned the business for several decades back when it was Phil’s Café. On this particular morning, Virgean Ratzlof was filling yet another tray of Zwiebach, which are German rolls that look like partial snowmen. ![]() Reinecker counts on Bridges to be there every morning at 5 making the coffee and unlocking the front door for the first wave to wash through at 6. Bridges, who had worked through six owners in 24 years, agreed to work for yet another owner. Her husband agreed as long as Polly Bridges was part of the deal. Upon hearing the news, Reinecker spoke to her husband and parents, letting them know how much she wanted to buy the business. “People were panicking,” said Lois Wiens, who was drinking coffee with a group of ladies on a recent morning as they recounted the story. Seven years ago the community was stunned when, without warning, the owners of the café shut down the business. After high school she moved on to working at Applebee's in McPherson, but the Inman café held a special place in her heart. Reinecker worked at the café while a student at Inman High School, first as a dishwasher and then as cook. On the wall hangs a sign that declares the restaurant's purpose, “Sit long, talk much.” "It's a very special place for me," said Reinecker. While the outmigration of young people plagues small communities around Kansas, Reinecker and others in Inman believe they are thriving, with a future filled with hope in this town of 1,378 people. By the third wave, they are yearning for the hearty special such as verenike, German sausage and Zwiebach.Ĭurrent owner Katie Reinecker, 35, is living her dream owning the community-centered café. A second wave, a little later in the morning, brings in those hankering for some freshly baked German Schnetka or New Year cookies. The first wave includes morning coffee drinkers, plus those ordering hearty breakfasts. People arrive in waves at Inman’s Harvest Café.
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