RACINE — It was a busy day for the Red Onion Cafe on Main Street in downtown Racine, but the popular spot took a big financial hit because of the pandemic. Owner Corey Oakland estimated the drop in revenue at 80 percent.
"It kind of fell apart," Oakland admits. "We could count on every day being really busy, bustling during breakfast and lunch. Just about every day we would be jam-packed and then overnight that kind of goes away."
Corey has owned this hip and trendy spot for the last 19 years. They had big plans for the Democratic National Convention this summer, but those are gone now.
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"PBS Washington Week, the national program, was going to come in and be filming a number of segments," he explains. "They were essentially going to take over the restaurant the entire week during the convention. We were really excited about it."
Right now they're at 50 percent for their dine-in service and their food and hospitality are outstanding.
"We still do a lot of salads," Oakland says. " We do a salmon salad that people like a lot with a salmon filet on it. We make to order."
The cafe also features a variety of soups and sandwiches and the Joe Burger, a bacon cheeseburger with a fried egg, is a big hit.