|
 The
restaurant, which has been closed for the last several weeks had
reopened in the 6 a.m. hour, and by 10 a.m. had already served
dozens of hungry diners their breakfast for the day. Even at
mid-morning the restaurant was still teeming with activities as
guests came in to enjoy the great food that has always been a big
part of the draw at Country Aire.
Nick and Lumi are the second generation of the Bekteshi family to
operate the restaurant. The eatery was originally purchased by
Nick’s father Ray. Prior to that the restaurant was owned by the
Turners. When Ray purchased the eatery, it became his second, with
the original being located in Heyworth. Nick and Lumi worked with
Nicks dad and when Ray passed away, they became the owners of the
Atlanta restaurant and Nick’s brother Mindy and sister-in-law Buukla
took on the Heyworth location.
Today, Nick and Lumi are pleased that both their sons Johnny and
Tony and Tony’s wife Nessa are working beside them in Atlanta and
will one day accept the passing of the torch when their parents are
ready to step aside.
Nick said that when his father purchased the restaurant, he did a
big refresh of the interior, and since then Nick and Lumi have made
minor upgrades, but nothing so major as what has occurred this time.
It was also revealed that the redesign of the interior of the
building is the vision of Lumi. The space now is genuinely the
definition of “light, bright and airy.”
Those who frequent the restaurant know that before this remodel the
cash register was located at the door, with a wall that divided the
space into two sections. That wall is now gone, and the register has
been moved to face the front doors, closer to the coffee counter. A
wood tone backdrop accents the register areas while the rest of the
building features white walls, new light-colored wood-tone flooring
and dramatic booths with black cushioned seats and backs.
Lumi said that removing the walls makes the area look
larger, and it did add a little bit of floor space. The decision was
made not to increase the number of tables in the center of the
dining area because the Bekteshi’s wanted more breathing space for
the customers and an improved ability for the wait staff to navigate
through the space, serving heaping plates of food to customers.
The kitchen and service area of the restaurant have
also been updated and improved. The Bekteshi’s restaurant manager
Crytal Appleton said that the improvements in the staff workspace
had greatly improved their ability to prep food, and otherwise serve
customers. She said there was an improvement in the flow in the
restaurant that made working there an even better experience.
On Monday morning, Lincoln Daily News assisted with the ribbon
cutting ceremony for the Bekteshi’s. Karen Castelein and Chassidy
White held the ribbon for the event while Nila Smith led the
program.
Standing behind the ribbon was Nick and Lumi, their
sons Tony and Johnny, daughter-in-law Nessa, Nick’s Sister-in-law
Buukla, Crystal Appleton, and staff that were not busy waiting on
customers.
Representing the city of Atlanta, Mayor Adam McVey
and Alderwomen Karen Horn and Chris Thomas were invited to join the
family and staff. Mayor McVey was invited to
say a few words prior to the snipping of the ribbon. He noted the
great new look of the restaurant but spoke primarily about what the
Bekteshi’s mean to the community. He said that they were a family
that cared about the town and its people and had done much to
support the community.
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McVey said he wanted the family to know just how much
they mean to the community and how important the restaurant is to
the community.
Alderwoman Chris Thomas said that she appreciated the
Bekteshis for their dedication to the community and the restaurant.
She said she also wanted to draw attention to all that the
Bekteshi’s do for the community and how that they support many
efforts to make the community better for everyone.
Alderwoman Karen Horn said that when she walked in
the door she was simply amazed by how beautiful the interior of the
restaurant is. She thanked the family for their commitment to the
restaurant and the community, ending by saying, “job well done.”
It was mentioned that the Bekteshi’s are known for lending their
support to local charities as well as people in need in the
community. The regularly host fundraisers where that they give away
a percentage of their daily receipts to a worthy cause or a local
person or family in need.
They also live local and hire local for their restaurant.
Before turning the floor over to Nick, Smith asked if
there was anyone else who would like to speak. Pastor Paul Weber
with the Atlanta Assembly Church was there representing the Atlanta
Ministerial Alliance. He spoke up saying that the alliance and the
various churches in Atlanta also appreciated the Bekteshi family. He
thanked them for all they do in the community and all they do to
support the local church families.
With the guest speakers finished, Nick said he wanted
to thank each person there who had shown such tremendous support for
them. Crystal Appleton said she wanted to thank Bekteshi’s for their
support of the staff. She said the restaurant was a good place to
work and the improvements made were making it even better. Lumi
Bekteshi also said she appreciated the community and said that she
hoped that everyone liked the new look at the restaurant.
With the speeches completed, the Bekteshi’s and their
guests stood for the posed picture, then with the countdown, Nick
snipped the ribbon.
The restaurant is open seven days a week serving
breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can also order breakfast all day at
the restaurant and enjoy a fabulous selection of decadent desserts.
Those in a rush or doing a working lunch can also place orders to
go.
In addition to the bright new interior, the exterior of the building
is also being freshened up. The cold snap and snow last week
prevented the work from being completely done before the re-opening,
but it will be done as soon as possible.
[Nila Smith] |
