Karen Waters is -- and should remain -- a legend along Ogden's 25th Street. As much as anyone, she played a key role in revitalizing Two-Bit Street.
Her small initial cafe, located under where the City Club is now, was small but comfortable, with great food and a constant crowd. Wednesdays were the hardest to get in because that was when they had meat loaf or pot roast, alternating weeks, and you were wise to call ahead and reserve your portions of those two commodities.
She always celebrated Elvis' Birthday by serving up free fried peanut and banana sandwiches. She had a thing for Elvis that would have made her husband jealous if Elvis weren't allegedly dead. One time I was talking to her about him and she started fanning herself, admitting that she was getting just a titch hot and bothered talking about him.
Karen fought numerous battles with the city in order to stay open. She had to struggle just to keep barrel-half planters in front of her store. It seemed as if zoning and building inspectors just didn't want her to be there some times, but she persisted.
Her cafe was what a cafe ought to be--hot coffee, good food, a steady stream of regulars who'd hang out, kill time and joke with the wait staff. Those included the odd (yes, very odd) journalist, who missed no opportunity to write up the place. Hey, everyone needs a publicity agent and, no, I never took free meals.
Local politicians were also regulars -- I need to dig it out, but I did one column when a local lawmaker died who'd been a friend. She hung his cowboy hat on the wall in his memory, I thought it was nice and wrote about it, and she hung the column next to the hat.
That hat and column followed her down the street to her new, much larger, cafe, and always hung there. I felt honored every visit.
Karen's key role in 25th Street exploded when she opened that new place -- it is now Jesse Jean's Coffee Beans -- in the 100 block. She was right next to a newly opened Ogden Blue in buildings the city had just put up, and she lived in an apartment upstairs. The place was jammed from the word go and the whole street took off. Meat loaf, pot roast and her famous crummy chicken were always there.
Karen's new cafe was filled with memorabilia of her family -- family pictures were imbedded into the plastic of the counter, and it breaks my heart to think of them all tossed out when the interior was demolished.
But all things come to an end. Karen's health declined, and she just couldn't keep up the business. Restaurants are hard to run, you need to be healthy to fight the battle, and after a while it just didn't work any more.
All things change, but it's sad when they do. I hope Karen's afterlife is filled with fun customers to talk to, lots of that amazing meat loaf (I'm guessing the recipe died with her) and, every now and then, some thoughts about Elvis, just to keep her warm.
Charles thank you so much for the kind words about my aunt. I remember serving you many times over my 11 years of working at Karen's. It was always a pleasure when youstopped in. My aunt createda legacy and will be deeply missed.
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing this, Charles. I remember seeing you in there often, and wish I would have introduced myself (a former journalist). Our group (Jeff Smith, Brad Larsen, Dave Kearl, Scott Erling and others from Weber State and the Big Sky Conference) were regulars. I will forever cherish the time I spent with Karen. She is an Ogden icon and led an amazing life. Blessed to call her my friend.
ReplyDeleteExtremely sad that she has moved on. My parents took me to her original cafe pretty much every Sunday growing up. The first time we went there after my dad's passing in 2005, Karen and her cook were both there to greet us with hugs and condolences. Once she moved to the bigger location, we were frequent visitors, especially when family was in town. I will always remember Karen and her amazing food and company.
ReplyDeleteEvery Tuesday while I worked on 25th street, my co-workers and I would find our way there and have a hearty breakfast. We became regulars and friends from the old cafe to the new one, I watched change happen and looked on it with mixed feelings. Karen would sit with us and chat. And during those little moments, she regaled us with those tales. That was nearly 13 years ago, now. I'd drop in every so often, and she'd come out and we'd chat again. Truly, those whom she adopted, she cared deeply about. I'm very glad to have known her.
ReplyDeleteWe are very saddened to read of Karen''s passing. Altough we do not live in Utah our son moved to Ogden for a job at Weber. He and our daughter-in-law took us to Karen''s on our first or second visit and we were hooked. We went as often as we could every visit. We were so sad to hear the restaurant had closed. We have missed it and talked about it every time since. We are so sorry to read that Karen has passed. Her kindness was reflected in her food and restaurant. We offer our deepest sympathies to the family, friends and many fans.
ReplyDeleteKaren was a dear friend and I will miss her. I used to take my team to the restaurant every Tuesday (Erik above worked with me) for 11 years. Before that, I used to take my daughter on days when she didn't have pre-school.
ReplyDeleteWhen she moved from her little spot by the city club to her bigger location west of Lincoln, my team and I helped with the sound system, her computers, and a few other small things. She was one of my favorite people because even the hardship of work, the loss of her husband, and her own failing health, she always kept a sparkle in her eye. She always had a big smile and a warm hug.S
Karen had a huge heart. Her staff loved her and were very dedicated to her. Indigent, homeless, mentally handicapped, and other strange folk would frequent the restaurant and Karen always had a kind word and warm food. She watched over everyone like a mother.
Over the years, she became a part of our work and personal family. Breakfast at Karen's was a constant and when she retired a few years ago, it left a gap in our lives. She was a wonderful person and Ogden is a little less grand today with her absence.