Cascade Cafe dedicated to great food, great service
Dubois County residents clamoring for a new breakfast joint need to look no further than the latest spot in Ferdinand.
It’s an experience that encapsulates Southern Indiana charm and hospitality, from the beaming smiles from staff as you enter a roomy dining space complete with a high ceiling and walls garnished with bright colors and aesthetic artwork depicting scenes in Ferdinand and the area to the fantastic breakfast offerings.
Located at 1825 Main Street, just north of the main strip of town, Cascade Cafe opened its doors on Oct. 21.
The family-owned restaurant was a venture that bloomed during the worldwide duress of Covid-19.
In a metaphorical sense, the restaurant was like a rose rising from concrete, but there are physical parallels too.
Towards the midpoint of 2020, owner Rob Wilson and his family decided that this formerly devoid grassy lot north of 18th Street marked the spot.
“My wife and I kind of had this idea a long time ago, a business like this with our daughters,” Rob said. “A few years ago, this spot became available in the right season of life for us. We embarked on the process of building this building, and we analyzed what was available around here. We thought breakfast was something that would fit the need for this community.”
The initial seed for business, which Rob reminds his family entails serving more than just food but people, was planted in 2020.
“We just thought it would be a real boom to the town, a boost to the town,” Rob said. “Because we didn’t have to answer to corporate America, we didn’t have to prove that it was a good idea. We just thought it was and took the risk.”
Rob said it has proven to be a teaching moment of life skills for his daughters, Anna and Elizabeth, both in their 20s.
“It was pretty neat watching it,” Anna said. “They popped up the frame in two days, so it went from flat slab to…I think we had the roof on in two days, so that was pretty neat watching it finish out and learning all about electrical and plumbing and all the pieces and parts.”
It took a year to break ground at their grand opening. Rob said a division of duties extended beyond him and Angie, his wife, to their daughters.
Rob said the nuances of this undertaking summoned ample decisions in advance for operations like furniture, flooring and electrical outlets.
Anna said observing where this started on Day One to today generates a deeper appreciation.
The time spent on the details of this restaurant is evidence of this family’s attention to detail which gives it an easily discernible, original handprint.
The main course is a classic. A solid portion of scrambled eggs, thinly fried potatoes, quality coffee, fresh and flavorful spiced local bacon or sausage patties and a hearty bowl of oatmeal topped with a nice dose of brown sugar and raisins and milk if you ask for it.
Recent sides include cinnamon rolls and muffins.
The coffee doesn’t disappoint and is frequently refilled by servers.
And if staying awake in the morning after leaving the house is arduous, Cascade will quickly rectify that. Large and numerous windows make the dining room flush with sunlight.
There’s a buzz, too, especially during a busier Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 8-11 a.m. They are closed on Sunday and Monday.
Rob said they might start opening as early as 7 a.m.; the place is, on average, full of a hearty Dubois County crowd as well as drop-in visitors passing by on I-64 and area attractions.
“It’s been very encouraging,” Rob said. “We’ve been very thankful for everyone that’s come along and given us a chance. It’s really been as we could have ever hoped. People really come out and support it. We’re doing limited hours, and a limited menu and people have come, which is kind of an affirmation of the idea that this would go. It was a need that could be met in this town and this county.”
Cascade has made steady but calculated moves throughout this process and is steadily making timely additions to its menu.
“It’s been really neat, the whole process,” Anna said. “It’s exciting to see, hey, we are actually doing it. We are finally to the point of waiting tables and getting to know people. It has been a joy serving them.”
You can learn more about Cascade Cafe online here. They can be reached at 352-275-7106.
