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Cheeper’s Cafe offers affordable dining, gaming in Gaylord
By Chris Engle, HT Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 4:06 PM EST
Cheeper’s Caf© co-owners, Pat Chiles (l) and David Burke opened their caf©/console gaming/coffee shop in October. Their business caters to customers “who don’t want to pay an arm and a leg” for a meal and who enjoy gaming with like-minded customers. HT - Chris Engle
GAYLORD -- Co-owners David Burke and Pat Chiles see their new business filling a niche in Gaylord.
Cheeper’s Café and TV Gaming Center is one of the few places in Gaylord where you can get a full meal for five bucks, have a smoke or play the latest console video games. In fact, it’s the only place in Gaylord where you can do all three at the same time.
“The concept is right,” said Chiles, discussing the café/gaming/coffee shop venture he and his business partner embarked on more than a year ago, before their October grand opening.
Their goal: To cater to those “who don’t want to pay an arm and a leg” for a decent meal, like to have a cigarette with their coffee and want to play the newest video games with like-minded customers.
“This town needs something like this,” he said.
Cheeper’s Café and TV Gaming Center is one of the few places in Gaylord where you can get a full meal for five bucks, have a smoke or play the latest console video games. In fact, it’s the only place in Gaylord where you can do all three at the same time.
“The concept is right,” said Chiles, discussing the café/gaming/coffee shop venture he and his business partner embarked on more than a year ago, before their October grand opening.
Their goal: To cater to those “who don’t want to pay an arm and a leg” for a decent meal, like to have a cigarette with their coffee and want to play the newest video games with like-minded customers.
“This town needs something like this,” he said.
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“I just felt I had to try,” added Burke, who has put 30 years into the restaurant business and saw a need for affordable food in a relaxed atmosphere.
Among the hot items on the menu are the $1.75 breakfast sandwiches which come on bagels or oversized English muffins or the $5 out-the-door lunches. There’s also soup, wraps and paninis and an array of snacks and bottled and fountain drinks.
Finish lunch and head to the corner of the room to bowl on the café’s high-definition television and Nintendo Wii. Or head next door to the gaming center where three screens are wired up to two Xbox 360s and a Playstation 3. There are also separate rooms with Wii systems to provide “more space for the gamer” while playing video games which require a lot of physical movement, according to Burke. There’s no smoking in the gaming center. Game systems are available to rent by the hour.
“We’re offering an inexpensive, alternative experience,” Burke said.
“There’s still more to come,” Chiles added, indicating more consoles and menu items are in the works, as are “old-school video game tournaments” to pit kids against their parents on Atari games.
Cheeper’s Café and TV Gaming Center is located at 121 South Indiana Ave. (behind Rite-Aid) in Gaylord. The café is open Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Sunday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. The gaming center is open Monday-Thursday, 2-10 p.m.; Friday, 2 p.m.-midnight; Saturday, noon-midnight; and Sunday, noon-7 p.m. For more information, call 732-0066.
Among the hot items on the menu are the $1.75 breakfast sandwiches which come on bagels or oversized English muffins or the $5 out-the-door lunches. There’s also soup, wraps and paninis and an array of snacks and bottled and fountain drinks.
Finish lunch and head to the corner of the room to bowl on the café’s high-definition television and Nintendo Wii. Or head next door to the gaming center where three screens are wired up to two Xbox 360s and a Playstation 3. There are also separate rooms with Wii systems to provide “more space for the gamer” while playing video games which require a lot of physical movement, according to Burke. There’s no smoking in the gaming center. Game systems are available to rent by the hour.
“We’re offering an inexpensive, alternative experience,” Burke said.
“There’s still more to come,” Chiles added, indicating more consoles and menu items are in the works, as are “old-school video game tournaments” to pit kids against their parents on Atari games.
Cheeper’s Café and TV Gaming Center is located at 121 South Indiana Ave. (behind Rite-Aid) in Gaylord. The café is open Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Sunday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. The gaming center is open Monday-Thursday, 2-10 p.m.; Friday, 2 p.m.-midnight; Saturday, noon-midnight; and Sunday, noon-7 p.m. For more information, call 732-0066.
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Becky688 wrote on Nov 29, 2008 11:18 PM:
"Having a smoke" isn't something I want my children doing during lunch! I hope this policy changes, because otherwise it sounds like a pretty cool concept. I might add, my husband and I are BOTH 30 yr old ex-smokers who enjoy gaming as much as anybody..... just food for thought, Mr. Owners... "