By Kelly Youngblood
A Champaign restaurant that served as a long-time family favorite for many years is reopening in Mahomet.
Taffies Café, formerly known as Taffies Family Restaurant for the last 35 years, opens Dec. 9 at its new location, 608 E. Main Street in Mahomet.
In addition to a new name and location, customers can expect to see a few more changes including a smaller menu and shorter hours.
But those familiar with the old restaurant will be relieved to know many of their favorite made-from-scratch foods will be back on the menu. And the new space will also offer another coffee bar for those frequent “regulars” to enjoy.
Angela Vanmatre, along with her husband, Jeremy, and son, Nate, who owned and operated Taffies in Champaign for the last several years, will run the Mahomet restaurant.
Taffies Café will be open for breakfast and lunch only from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The menu will be similar to the old one (minus dinner items) and will include popular favorites such as made-from-scratch buttermilk pancakes and biscuits, burgers, sandwiches, wraps and soups.
Vanmatre’s mother will also be making her famous homemade pies. Breakfast will be served all day. New to the menu will be lattes and cappuccinos and carry-out will also be available.
Vanmatre said the decision to close the doors in Champaign this past August was due to a deteriorating building that needed too many repairs. Still, she says it wasn’t an easy choice for them or their countless loyal customers and admits tears where shed on that last day.
“It was so sad to close. We had crazy loyal customers. Some of them would come in twice a day every day,” Vanmatre said.
They had always intended to reopen elsewhere and looked throughout Champaign-Urbana and the surrounding area for a new space. When they saw the building in Mahomet, they knew it was the right one.
“It was so cute, we fell in love,” Vanmatre said.
The building only seats 50 people so it’s much smaller than their old building which seated around 110 people. But Vanmatre said they’re ok with the smaller size.
“It’s quaint, cozy and cute. I just love the space,” she said.
