Culinary surprise | A conversation with Jan Lucas, co-owner of Café Sorpreso in Presque Isle
Photo/Whit Richardson
Jan Lucas
Founded: November 2007, by Jan and Roger Lucas and Judy and Clifton Boudman
Employees: Four partners and eight employees
Startup costs: $100,000
Revenue, year one: $180,000
Projected revenue, year two: $250,000
Contact: 764-1854
415 Main St., Presque Isle
www.sorpresocafe.net
What is Café Sorpreso?
Café Sorpreso is a European style restaurant offering fresh foods using fresh and often local produce — there is no fryer in our kitchen.
Lunch is served Tuesday through Saturday offering at least three fresh-made soups, panini and sandwiches in our own artisan breads, salads and fresh-made desserts. The café is open to the general public on the nights of Thursday, Friday and Saturday offering a selection of appetizers, soups, salads, entrees and desserts. Our entrees always include all-natural Angus beef, usually filet mignon and New York sirloin. We include fresh pork or lamb, scallops and fish. Our vegetarian option is usually a Thai or Indian curry and pasta. We include a couple of our lunch panini and lobster rolls for customers seeking lighter fare. Once a month we add a special World Culinary Tour night where we offer a complete menu from a country of our choice.
The nights we are closed to the public are usually filled with private bookings.
What does “Sorpreso” mean?
It’s “surprised” in Italian. I always liked the word “smile” in Italian, sorriso. But Judy and Clifton said it sounded like chorizo and we didn’t want to be known as a sausage café. We want to surprise people. We change our menu constantly. People come in and get surprised. It fits.
Why did you decide to launch?
Judy and Clifton have successfully owned and run the Rum Rapids Inn in Crouseville for many years, offering riverside bed and breakfast accommodation along with great breakfasts and private dinners. Judy gained experience cooking in the Far East during her early travels and Clifton recreated some of his culinary adventures from his annual travels overseas. Roger qualified as a master chef in his early years and spent seven years as a chef in Australia prior to meeting me. I’m self-taught and cooked mainly in private homes for the British royalty, nobility and government ministers. Roger and I moved to the U.S. in 2005 and launched a catering business, Take Two Chefs. Café Sorpreso is the natural progression of the two businesses. Both couples felt that there was a need in Presque Isle for a high street restaurant serving fresh foods.
Since both couples were in business before, did any lessons carry over?
Roger and I had a restaurant in England in the lake district, a traditional restaurant. And so we had forgotten how involved running a restaurant is … it takes over your life. I think the lesson is just not to be surprised. It threw me for a loop that we’d be so well received and that people trust us — we’re introducing all these different foods. But people are willing to try new flavors. Judy and I think that’s the nicest thing — trusting us.
Do you have a business philosophy?
Generally, we try to have fun with our food and our customers. It’s why we don’t do booths and we don’t turn tables. You have the table for hours — that’s what we do in Europe. We have to cultivate that almost here. But if every table in the restaurant is booked, that’s it.
How is your company financed?
The four partners used their own equity. We all had equipment and small wares to bring to the café and were careful in our purchasing of everything else. We opened with the minimum required to fulfill our vision and have been adding as required.
How do you market?
Initially, our local newspaper ran a feature on us and we have placed advertisements regularly ... We update our menu daily on Twitter. We won Business of the Year recently from the Presque Isle Chamber of Commerce and the added exposure has increased interest in our business.
What’s been your biggest challenge to increasing business?
Our biggest problem is lack of space. Our business is growing daily and some days we just don’t have enough room to seat everyone. Our kitchen is small and storage is a big challenge — particularly as we use fresh and not frozen produce. It seems we’re always overbooked.
Interview by Carol Coultas
New Ventures profiles young businesses, 6-18 months old. Send your suggestions and contact information to editorial@mainebiz.biz.
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