Written By Lisa Breslin
For months, Westminster resident Dena Rooney watched the burned shell of what was once the Fat Cat Caf come back to life. When she drove by the corner of Main Street and Center in Westminster and noticed a sign that read “For Lease,” she knew that 15 years of dreaming about having her own cafe could now become a reality.
With a comprehensive business plan, a hefty loan and the shoulders of her family and best friend to lean on, Rooney will open the doors to Rooney’s Corner Caf in April. The Fat Cat was heavily damaged by fire in February, 2006. The three-story building at 172 East Main Street was repaired but has not housed a restaurant since the fire.
“When I turned 40, I remember thinking, ÔWhat am I going to do?’” Rooney said. “A lot of soul searching helped me realize that what gets me jazzed is planning parties, cooking and entertaining in my home.”
“Rooney’s Corner Caf will be an extension of my home.” “It will be a comfortable place with quick service and specials based on what is good at the local farmers’ market during the spring and summer.”
Rooney is no stranger to the restaurant business.
She opened a Marriott Hotel in San Francisco, did almost every job possible for the Spirit of Baltimore, a dinner cruise boat on the Inner Harbor, and ran a catering business.
Her husband, Ben, managed The Spirit of Washington, a D.C. cruise boat. And their daughter, Emily, a seventh grader at Shiloh Middle School, is planning the Children’s Menu.
Another shoulder Dena Rooney is leaning on is her best friend, Amy Dever, a mother of six. Dever is her “sounding board,” Rooney said, and will be the general manager of the cafe with “blood, sweat and tears” equity.
“She knows what she is looking for when she takes her family to lunch, and the caf will offer an atmosphere and a menu based on Amy’s expertise,” Rooney said.
“Menu prices will probably range from $3 for a piece of pound cake and a cup of coffee, to $12 for a Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad,” Rooney said. “Many items will be homemade; I’ll even roast the turkey for turkey sandwiches.”
Soon after the doors open, Rooney hopes that her corner caf will be the kind of place where people will walk in and say “Hi Dena,” and she’ll know what the regulars want to order.
Rooney might even put up a sign that states “Be Kind or Go Home,” she said. “My family motto is ÔAlways be kind;’ that’s important to me. I want people who work here and who come to the caf to be greeted with a smile.”
Rooney’s Corner Caf hours will be Monday through Friday 7 a.m. until 3 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
“It’s so important to keep downtown businesses alive and to bring back that old-town, wonderful feel,” said Ellen Finnerty Myers, chairman of Carroll County Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors. “Fat Cat was a great place, and I’m sure that Dena will do a great job. I’m thrilled that Westminster will have a great new corner.” – L.M.B.
