By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
A new Hays resident is planning to open a new American-style restaurant in the former Mokas building, 1230 E. 27th.
Chester Mayhew will be expanding his family's restaurant business, Cattleman's Cafe, to Hays. Mayhew said he hopes to have the restaurant open by mid-Febraury.
Chester will be the owner and operator of the business, but his parents, Chester and Carolyn, have a combined 60 years of experience in food service.
The family also has restaurants in Liberal and Sublette.
"Hays seems to be a growing community, and it seems to be welcoming to people who want to grow Hays," he said.
The cafe will offer comfort food favorites, such as chicken-fried steaks, meatloaf, pot roast, hamburgers, salads and steaks.
All the steaks and hamburgers will be charbroiled.
The cafes are known for their chicken-fried steaks, which are hand-breaded in-house and fried fresh to order.
"It's going to be good food, good prices and good service," he said.
Everything will be homemade, including mashed potatoes and ranch dressing. Other sides will include carrots, green beans and corn.
The cafe will have kids' meals, as well as half-portion options for light eaters.
"It's a family restaurant, and we are a family operation. We want to serve the customers with good food and good prices and good service," Mayhew said.
He said the at-home atmosphere will set the restaurant apart. He said the food is "like grandma's cooking."
Mayhew said he is waiting on equipment but could start hiring as soon as next week. He acknowledged the job market in Hays is tight, but he said he intends to offer competitive wages.
Mayhew is in the process of remodeling the former coffee shop. The restaurant will have a capacity of about 90 people.
The restaurant will be open seven days a week. Sundays through Thursdays it will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
"Hays seems to be a growing, moving town," Mayhew said. "The traffic never stops. It's a little different atmosphere than southwest Kansas. I'm excited for the new customer base."