This Boise family opened a restaurant, and ‘right out of the gate we got slammed’
A small family-run restaurant is off to a hot start on the Boise Bench.
And if its entertaining social-media posts are any indication, the excitement has just begun.
Amanda’s European Cafe, 217 S. Roosevelt St., began serving exclusively on weekends after Amanda and Mike Turner unveiled it May 9. At this point, hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday, according to its Facebook page.
“This is the first restaurant we have ever opened,” Mike Turner explained on Facebook, “and our girls, who are our primary staff, were still finishing up school, so doing just weekends has allowed us to approach the steep learning curve without breaking us.”
Although the initial weekend’s opening was soft, it was not quiet. “Right out of the gate we got slammed,” Turner wrote. “We barely knew how to operate the equipment and the register at the same time we were tripping breakers and losing internet, and orders kept piling up. My sister jumped in because Emilia wasn’t home from college yet. We sold out of food early both days. Crazy, fun, and we learned more in 48 hours than we had in the previous six months of planning.”
The vision behind Amanda’s Cafe, he explained, is to offer the sort of dining destination they would want to frequent themselves. “Food and drinks that taste like someone cared. An ambiance that naturally makes you smile when you sit down. Everything is made from scratch. Locally sourced organic ingredients. No microwaves. Eco Friendly. No crappy oils or preservatives. People working there who are friendly and genuine.”
Whether it’s cold brew or matcha, Amanda’s “signature” apple cake or a berry scone, stromboli or frittatas, Amanda’s European Cafe clearly is aiming to please. Its website describes it as “a cozy woman-owned cafe serving scratch-made vegetarian comfort food and locally-sourced coffee.” On Facebook, it sums up the current food situation as “espresso, pastries, weekend brunch, full menu coming soon.”
Also coming soon? More elbow grease.
“We’re staffing up to open more days for summer,” Mike Turner posted. “I’m still working on the patio. A small stage for live music. Decorative split rail fencing to get into compliance for our beer and wine license. We’re hoping the license comes through mid to late June, and once it does we’ll start opening for evenings.”