Sunny Side Up

The recession hasn't been kind to restaurants, as a shortage of disposable income has prompted many people to dispose of a larger share of it in supermarkets. But places that specialize in breakfast seem to be keeping the home fires burning.

"Absolutely, without a doubt," said Suzanne Altreche, who, with business partner Patiance Thompson owns the four Cracked Egg restaurants across the valley. "This year, we were up over last year. In the last two years, we have held steady."

"We are very, very fortunate, we're doing OK," said Ronni Klein, owner of Jamms Restaurant, 1029 S. Rainbow Blvd. "Some days are not so great, but other days are fabulous."

In fact, because of the dismal economy, Altreche said the temptation to expand is strong.

"It's definitely a good time," she said. "The opportunities are out there, the leases they're offering are incredible."

It was just such a leasing opportunity that prompted Kevin Mills and his partners to recently open a new Omelet House at 6520 Boulder Highway.

Mills pointed out that even in good times there are a lot of restaurant closings. And generally, he added, whenever a space became available, there were plenty of aspiring restaurateurs waiting to try their hand.

"With the lack of available seed money and the general pitiful nature of our economy now, there aren't any more people standing there saying, 'Oooh, oooh, give me a chance,' " he said.

Mills said he and his partners looked at "easily a dozen" properties before making a decision, which was driven by a combination of factors.

"This was a brand-spanking new Sizzler that probably did a million and half buildout and they probably lasted six months," he said. "The owners watched it sit vacant for in excess of two years, so let's say they were a little bit pliable."

The new location is only four miles from the Henderson Omelet House, also on Boulder Highway, but, Mills said, "that location isn't going to be there forever. It was 40 years old when we took it over close to 20 years ago, and we have ongoing plumbing problems."

In the meantime, he said, business at the Henderson restaurant is down, but it's difficult to say whether that's because it's losing business to the new one.

Altreche, too, is wary of siting her restaurants too close together.

"We're spread out pretty good in this town," she said, "and I'm concerned about oversaturating," although she doesn't rule out a future expansion in another area.

Altreche, Klein and Mills all said they think they've maintained in large part because of the relative value they offer.

"I think part of it is when the recession hit, everybody cut out their high-dollar dinners, and just sort of moved to their comfort places, their local establishments," Altreche said. "Breakfast doesn't break the bank. And good breakfast keeps them coming back."

"It's because the average check is less than dinner," Klein said. "We're getting new customers all the time, but I don't know if it's because for the first time we're advertising. Is it that, or is it the economy? You see more heads, but they're spending less, splitting things. Now, is that because of the economy, or because they don't want to eat as much as I'm serving?"

Mills said that while business has tapered off slightly during the recession at his flagship restaurant at 2160 W. Charleston Blvd., it was "nothing to really be alarmed at."

"The breakfast segment has suffered the least because if people can't afford to go out for bacon and eggs, then we really have problems," Mills said. "You'd better get a gun and guard your pantry at home."

That said, he for the first time is branching out with dinner at the new location -- something Altreche said she wouldn't do and Klein said she wouldn't try again. Jamms tried it "for a minute" last fall and "we had more employees than we had customers," Klein said.

"I don't think you can reinvent yourself," she added. "I don't think I can tell you I'm a boy when I've been a girl all these years." Jamms does, however, occasionally stretch its wings: Klein recently added cinnamon-raisin pots of bread and cinnamon-raisin french toast and is adding French-press coffee.

"It's not for me," Altreche said of serving dinner. "I like the quality of life for the managers and the employees" that a breakfast-and-lunch spot offers.

Mills said he has several reasons for trying it.

"We have a facility that lends itself to the dinner concept because it was a former Sizzler," he said. "We've inherited a salad bar."

And with the proximity to the huge Central Christian Church and the growing bedroom community near the intersection, "we thought there might possibly be a need for dinner, and we've been right -- partly because of the need and partly because we've created a need with our reasonable pricing."

The new Omelet House offers fish, steak, chicken and pasta entrees, which are all less than $10 except for the steak, which is $10.50, Mills said. And beer and wine are $2 to $3 a glass.

But while things have held steady, he's waiting for the recovery.

"When I go out to eat at a restaurant -- one of my favorites -- I'll go maybe a couple of times a month," Mills said. "We're just waiting for those people to start coming back for those couple of times a month."

Contact reporter Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@review journal.com or 702-383-0474.