KooKoo's Café opens on Noble

For a long time, Dana Clark dreamed of opening a small café with diverse offerings. He shared his ideas with Karen (his wife of 22 years), and with his mother Carolyn, and his brother Dwayne. Finally, his mom said, "You are going to make yourself coo-coo with this." That was it—KooKoo's Café.

The Clark family came together with the finances required to open the business, and they began to search for a location—a storefront in a nice area that had a need for KooKoo's Cafe. It was almost two years before they found 2579 Noble Road (near the intersection of Noble Road and Monticello Boulevard). The neighborhood had no coffee shop where people could drop in. KooKoo's fills that void and it is a good place for kids to stop in after school to enjoy hot dogs (all beef), ice cream (some lactose free), cupcakes, cookies, and milk shakes—or just sit at a table and do their homework.

KooKoo's Café opened at the end of August. Since then, neighbors and passersby have discovered it as a good place to get a sub sandwich, like the Big Kahuna (smoked turkey, roast beef, and Genoa salami). Dana talks about the science of the sandwich—the order in which ingredients are put together to get the most taste. A lot of thinking has gone into the gourmet subs, including beef, chicken, and Reuben. Customers can even build their own. New menu items coming soon include soups, hot chocolate and rice bowls.

Mom, wife, husband, brother, and friends have invested in KooKoo's, and their enthusiasm is strong. "The best part is seeing people enjoy our creations," said Karen Clark. Day manager Regina Phoeson and night manager Charles Marbuary offer a friendly greeting and make guests feel at home. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday.