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Tri-County news • New Holstein Progress • Thursday, April 26, 2018
Family atmosphere at Korner Kitchen By Mark Sherry It has been only about 18 months that the Mamuti family has owned and operated Korner Kitchen in New Holstein—it just seems like longer. Emma Mamuti said it feels that way because they have formed such a close relationship with their large and loyal customer base. “We’re very fortunate to have a very good customer base,” she said, adding that it was something the family felt very quickly after moving to this area from Chicago. “Everyone was really supportive.” The daughter of Billy and Julia admits that it was a bit of a culture shock for her family to come to rural Wisconsin from Chicago, but they soon discovered “how helpful everyone is customer wise. Everyone’s looking out for you. Everyone wants to see you succeed,” she said. It certainly has helped that the Mamuti family already understood the Wisconsin recipe for success in the restaurant business—offer ample portions of good food at reasonable prices. Located on Milwaukee Drive (STH 32/57) on New Holstein’s south side, Korner Kitchen has scored with customers in all three categories. Often at capacity Whether it is the “regulars” who occupy the handful of counter stools the family put into the restaurant when they first arrived or the many repeat customers who fill the restaurant’s booths, Korner Kitchen is at or near capacity many times each week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Emma said they do not like to turn people away, and she added, “There are times we wish it was a bigger restaurant.” To help alleviate some of that pressure during warm-weather months, Emma said they are considering adding some outdoor seating on the south side of the restaurant. The variety in Korner Kitchen’s menu is just one of the reasons customers fill the booths each day. From all the usual breakfast favorites to a variety of burgers, homemade soups, Italian dishes, Greek chicken, and much more, Billy and son Nick send out dish after dish from the kitchen that people enjoy eating. Billy was a chef in Chicago for 30 years before fulfilling a lifelong dream of owning his own restaurant. Written on a chalkboard, four daily specials which Emma said are sometimes not found on the normal menu are available at Korner Kitchen. The specials change for the various meals throughout the day. Fish available year round A fish fry is available year round but, of course, is even more popular during Lent. Hand-battered perch, walleye, and cod are available, not to mention shrimp pasta. Emma said seven different homemade soups are made at Korner Kitchen, with some of the favorites including creamy
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At right, Mamuti family members (from left) Emma, Nick, Billy, and Julia—along with Bee (not pictured)— said they feel like their customers have become part of the family. They are joined above by waitress Sandy.
Mark Sherry photo
cheddar broccoli, chicken dumpling, and vegetable beef. Chili is available daily as well. Burgers remain a popular choice at Korner Kitchen, including the Husky Burger named after New Holstein High School’s mascot, and Nick’s 4 Korner Cheeseburger featuring four types of cheese—an idea which Nick created. But full dinners—from barbecued ribs to baked ham to steak stir fry and many more—are also popular choices. Emma said they do monitor which menu items sell the best and which do not and will consider tweaking the menu over time. They already are doing some of that, such as just recently adding a kielbasa sandwich to their offerings. Senior menu added Another recent change has been the addition of a senior menu, offering slightly smaller portions at reduced prices for the many senior citizens who frequent the establishment. Korner Kitchen is truly a family business. Emma’s mother Julia is at the restaurant almost every day. “She’s the clean freak,” Emma said with a smile, adding that her mother works to make sure every corner of the restaurant remains clean and encouraging the rest of the staff to do the same. Emma’s sister Bee also continues to waitress at Korner Kitchen along with their main waitress Sandy. Emma added
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that they are always looking for more waitresses and she encourages anyone interested to inquire. With a steady stream of customers who enjoy the food—and not a lot of square footage for waitresses to cover—it no doubt is a very nice place to work, not to mention
the fun, family atmosphere which seems to be prevalent at all times there. “We look forward to coming to work every day,” Emma said. “We come to work happy and look forward to serving in New Holstein for many years to come.”