Elburn's new Rise N Dine opens its doors after extensive renovation

ELBURN – When Rise N Dine owner Cheryl Groce closed on the building at 115 N. Main Street in Elburn, former home of the Kountry Kettle restaurant, she knew the emergency purchase of a new boiler would only be the first cost she would encounter in renovating the more than 100-year old building.

Almost six months and several building updates later, Rise N Dine opened for business on Aug. 15, just in time for Elburn Days.

Groce had to tear out everything in the old kitchen and rebuild a new one, replace major appliances, plus a myriad of other fixes, major and minor, to bring everything back up to code. She also made a number of cosmetic changes, such as installing a new ceiling and floor, adding new tables and chairs and a fresh coat of paint.

While customers may not be able to appreciate the new boiler and kitchen appliances, they wholeheartedly approve of the transformation of the dining area, including the decorative wrought iron chairs and tables and sconce light fixtures to match.

A mosaic of colorful stones embedded into the sidewalk greets diners at the entrance of the restaurant.

The familiar paintings featuring each of the four seasons, saved from the previous décor, hang on one of the front walls, as does an attractive arrangement of the pictures of old barns sporting new frames, will welcome long-term customers back to a familiar place and time.

Also saved is space for several tables to form one long seating arrangement where farmers, retirees, and others have always gathered to talk about their lives, happenings around town, and what is needed to solve the problems of the world.

Kaneville resident Don Kames said he has been a regular at that table for about 15 years. He and friend Dale Weir from Maple Park were enjoying their breakfast as they surveyed the surroundings.

“This is where you find out what’s not in the newspaper,” Kames said with a smile. “You can be yourself here.”

That is exactly the feeling that Groce wants to capture from the long history of the diner, through a number of owners and dating back to the 1920’s, when it was called The Bakery.

“There’s a lot of history here,” Groce said. “I want to keep that mom and pop feel where everybody feels at home. Those places are getting harder and harder to find.”

She also hired Roxanne Cornwell, one of the servers from the previous restaurant. Groce visited the Kountry Kettle a few times before it closed, and noticed the rapport that Cornwell had with her customers.

While Groce welcomes back the long-time customers and the old-timers, she is also eager for young families and others newer to the area to discover the new eatery.

Rachel Dixon is a combination of both. Although she and her own family moved to Elburn just a year ago, she said her dad and grandad brought her here when she was a baby, about 35 years ago, when it was called The Bakery.

“It’s nice and clean and fresh – just what it needed,” she said. “It’s nice to have a diner right in town.”

Elburn police officer Luis Santoyo can vouch for the food as well as the service.

“Excellent,” he said of his breakfast. “The ham off the bone was delicious.”

Santoyo, who lives down the street, said that Groce did a good job on the renovation, mentioning the decorative details on the chairs. He said that while the restaurant was closed, he tried some other places in the area. He said he likes the smaller size of the restaurant with more of a homey feel. He said the service has always been great, and that hasn’t changed.

“Roxanne is awesome,” he said. “I will be coming back.”

The restaurant will be open seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., serving breakfast and lunch. The breakfast choices include a variety of egg and meat dishes, pancakes, French toast and waffles and oatmeal. Sandwiches, soups and salads make up the lunch choices, along with a special of the day.

“Once we get an idea of what people like, then we’ll select a different special for each day,” Groce said. “We’re going to keep it simple; what you’d expect in a country diner.”