Tony’s Café continues in Crystal Lake without Tony

CRYSTAL LAKE – When Tony Sacketos decided it was time for him to retire at the end of June after running Tony’s Café in Crystal Lake for 20 years, finding a buyer was easy.

He sold the business at 1030 McHenry Ave. to longtime Tony’s Café server Bobbie Schiller, 49, and her partner, John Zimka.

“Having Bobbie to take over the place made the transition very smooth,” Sacketos said.

Schiller and Zimka, who live together in Algonquin, plan to keep the place going with the same attention to detail, customer service and warmth that Sacketos did. They also hope to put their own mark on Tony’s Café in the coming years.

Sacketos started the restaurant in 1994.

“I had to gain the confidence of the public,” he said. “I didn’t take a paycheck for a year.”

His friendliness combined with good food at competitive prices soon attracted a loyal following. Many of his customers have been eating there for decades. Even the grown children of those customers have become regulars at Tony’s Café.

The Great Recession took a toll on the restaurant, as it did on other businesses around the world.

“The recession was brutal,” Sacketos said. “Starting in November 2008, the restaurant was bleeding money every month.”

Sacketos remembers calling the kitchen crew together to tell them that they could stay in business, but everyone would have to take a pay cut. Even with the pay cuts, Sacketos estimated he spent $90,000 to keep the restaurant afloat during the lean years that followed.

“The meltdown took a lot out of me,” Sacketos said.

After talking with his wife, Toby, he decided to retire and sell the business. It was bittersweet.

“It was a very rewarding 20 years,” he said. “I met so many beautiful, loving people.”

Schiller knew nearly everything about running the restaurant after working there for more than 15 years, and Zimka had previously run restaurants in Algonquin and Skokie. Despite their experience and help from other longtime staff members who stayed on, running Tony’s Café without Tony wasn’t easy.

“It’s a learning process,” Zimka said. “We’re fortunate Tony was here for 20 years and built an extremely loyal customer base.”

So far, business has been good, he said. They’ve made a few changes to the menu, such as adding fish tacos, pasta frittata and other dishes and adding a lot of fresh fruit options during the summer. They plan to open an outdoor eating area next year.

“We’re putting our own twist on things,” Zimka said. “We’re always looking for something new, something catchy.”

At the same time, the new owners have been careful not to make radical changes that might upset longtime customers.

Schiller said working at Tony’s Café over the years has been fun, especially watching the children of customers become regulars themselves. Schiller also knows “99.9 percent” of customers by names and is quick to greet them when they come in, Zimka said.

“I’ve always wanted to own a restaurant,” Schiller said. “I love working with people.”

But before, she could leave at the end of a shift. Now she often ends up taking work home with her.

Although retired, Sacketos hasn’t stopped working entirely. Once in a pinch, he turned up to help a short-handed crew back in the kitchen. And he enjoys being a welcome customer in the restaurant that bears his name.

“I still go to the best place in town for breakfast – Tony’s Café,” he said.