Crystal Café Tackles the Off-Season

Jan. 4, 2015

After more than 20 years working for a bakery supplier, Kris Welty had enough of the corporate life.

He and his wife Daylene wanted a change and to be closer to family. Kris was originally from the Lansing area and Daylene’s family had moved to northern Michigan from their native Texas years prior.

So, the couple switched career gears and bought the Betsie River Camp Site campground near Frankfort, but they didn’t stop there; the restaurant business was calling.

Daylene’s sister owned the Crystal Café in Benzonia and she just happened to be looking for a change too.

"My wife’s sister was looking to get out.

She started here when it opened 25 years prior," Welty explains.

THE SCENE

Wanting something to cover the campground’s off-season, they made their career transformation complete by purchasing the café.

The couple purchased the eatery in March and operated it through the summer. Now, for the first time in many years, Crystal Café will remain open through the winter, as well.

Welty notes that off-season customers are more of a lunch crowd than their summer counterparts, the majority of whom order breakfast throughout the day.

While the cafe showcases an unassuming storefront in the Crystal Plaza, inside it’s adorned with plenty of nods to the region like fishing lures, nets and poles.

THE MENU

Welty tries to use fresh and local products whenever possible, minimizing pre-packaged and processed foods.

"We use local and Michigan products when we can," says Welty. That includes meats from Louie’s Meats in Traverse City, bread from Crescent Bakery in Frankfort and ice cream from nearby Hilltop Ice Cream," he says.

Breakfasts include eggs, potatoes and breakfast meats. Specialties include the Bob, an egg, cheese and bacon sandwich on a biscuit; the Charlie, an egg scramble with cheese, bacon and sausage on a potato roll; and the Belli Cakes, pancakes with dried cherries and a scoop of ice cream.

Lunch features include burgers, grilled chicken, the ham and turkey Cristo and salads. The café’s pizza features house-made dough and marinara, and pepperoni from Rice Farm in Benzonia, which also supplies the pulled pork, chorizo and other meats.

THE BEST

Welty wanted to simplify the menu to focus on breakfast and lunch, but he also wanted to offer some items not commonly found elsewhere like the pot roast sandwich.

At breakfast, the pot roast omelette with roasted carrots, onions and potatoes is a customer favorite, but it’s not number one.

"The most popular is the corned beef hash," says Welty. Like so many of the foods, the corned beef is locally sourced, coming from Ebel’s in Falmouth.

Lunch favorites include the Pulled Pork Sammie with Welty’s Carolina-style BBQ sauce. Also at the top of the list is the ham & turkey Cristo showcasing smoked ham and turkey with Brownwood Farms cherry jam on challah bread.

A delightful surprise is the coleslaw, a creamy variety that has a surprising amount of flavor more commonly found in vinegar styles.

THE REST OF THE STORY

Welty’s own restaurant experience is reflected in the menu. He once worked at the Bluebird in Leland and, during college, at restaurants in the Lansing area and in the South.

"I learned at Jim’s Tiffany [in Lansing] from a chef from Lafayette, Louisiana and spent two years in South Carolina," Welty says.

The pulled pork, BBQ sauce and other items reflect those experiences.

"My taste is strong, bold, spicy flavor," says Welty. He admits he tones things down a bit, but does give a burst of flavor to things that might otherwise be too bland like, for example, the coleslaw. "We add seasoning so it has some depth."

THE SKINNY

Breakfasts start at $4.99. Burgers start at $5.99, other sandwiches at $7.99. Salads start at 99 cents. Pizza starts at $9.99 for a small, $6.99 for a personal size.

Crystal Café is open 6am to 2pm seven days a week. It is located at 1681 Benzie Highway in Benzonia. For more information, call 231-882- 9565 or visit their Facebook page.