By ROD KING

For the Northwest News

After a couple weeks’ hiatus, Rich’s Cafe in New Haven posted an April 18 reopening date. The restaurant at 615 Broadway St. opened for breakfast at 7 a.m., just as it has for decades. It’s under new management. Dan Knepper and his partner Fili Gonzalez, who is also the chef, finalized the transfer April 1.

“The name will remain the same,” Knepper said. “Rich’s has been serving people in this area for a long time and everybody knows it well. It’s a tradition. The only change will be the logo and menu.”

“If you’ve ever eaten at Klemm’s Kafe on Wells Street,” Knepper said, “you’ll recognize the new menu.” Knepper has owned and operated that breakfast-and-lunch restaurant at 1429 N. Wells St. in Fort Wayne for seven years, and he said that menu is very similar to the Rich’s menu. “We have 18 different breakfast choices,” he said, “and a few that might be unfamiliar. Rich’s will be serving a dozen different sandwiches, three dinners with sides and beverages and a variety of homemade soups and sides ranging from onion rings, cottage cheese, coleslaw and tossed salad to applesauce, french fries, American fries and homemade pie. There will also be weekly specials.”

“In other words,” he added, “Rich’s will be serving the same great food at great prices. I’ve just changed the branding and the menu.”

In addition, Knepper said, “we intend to maintain the same laid-back atmosphere as before and may even add some music. He said many of the staff from Klemm’s will be working at Rich’s along with Cassie Carr and Karen Hernandez who have been employees of Rich’s for many years. “We’ll have a carry-out service and are instituting a delivery service using DoorDash,” he said; that number is 260-749-6073.

Knepper said owning Rich’s has enabled him to reach a personal goal. It also allows him to come full-circle from when he lived in New Haven and first inquired about buying the restaurant from Jim Symington. “It wasn’t for sale at that time, but Jimmy Schindler, whom I worked for for 10 years at Bandidos, put me in touch with the owners of Klemm’s when they were considering selling.”

“I owe a lot to Jimmy,” Knepper said. “He was my mentor. He hired me as a dishwasher when I decided college wasn’t for me and I worked my way up to the corporate office. I was with him 13 years.”

“Owning and operating breakfast-and-lunch restaurants allows me to have afternoons off to be with my eight children and the love of my life, my wife, Courtney,” Knepper said. “She was born and raised in New Haven.”

The Bishop Dwenger High School graduate played on the football team at the University of St. Francis for one year before deciding to get into the food service industry. He has kept his hand in the game as defensive coach of his alma mater’s football team for the past seven years. “I really love being around football and to be able share my experience with the players,” Knepper said.