Enjoy Diner-Style Fresh, Homemade Breakfast, Lunch and Drinks
A family-owned cafe in Englewood is entering its 20th season in business this fall under its current ownership.
Spinnaker Cafe, known for its homemade food and welcoming atmosphere, was purchased by Lisa Domuczicz in 2007. On August 1st, the cafe is celebrating almost two decades of homemade food, long-standing community relationships and a commitment to keep the small-town diner feel alive.
Open seven days a week, Spinnaker Cafe serves both breakfast and lunch between 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Its menu emphasizes homemade quality, including soups, sauces and desserts made from family recipes and a traditional diner-style selection. Family-friendly favorites include omelets and French toast for breakfast, or patty melts and cheeseburgers for lunch. Customers also take home homemade soup or chili by the quart for dinner.
Some of the most popular items include coconut French toast and the Benedict burger, but many customers dine often for the cafe’s unique rotating specials that highlight seasonal ingredients or creative combinations, such as cranberry coffee rolls with bacon or lemon raspberry toppings.
While some popular specials are brought back by request, others are fleeting — encouraging guests to try something new or risk missing out.
“If we can make it happen, we will,” said Lisa. “The best part of our diner experience is the freshness. You’re getting homemade, nutritious food while seated in a family-friendly environment.”
Lisa brought years of restaurant industry experience to Spinnaker nearly two decades ago. While the cafe has maintained its traditional roots, she said customer tastes continue to evolve, which is reflected in the specials board with new and tasteful items.
In addition to homestyle, quality meals, Spinnaker offers beer, wine, and sangria along with weekly beverage specials and mimosas —peach, orange, cranberry, mango, pineapple, and guava lemonade.
Spinnaker’s relaxed dining experience is built on a loyal base of repeat customers and staff who recognize those customers by name.
“Some of our staff have been with us for years and customers appreciate that consistency. We’re deeply rooted in family, so that sense of familiarity that people feel when they walk through the door is important to us,” Lisa said. “It’s not always the case anymore that you’re served by the same face year after year. Here, that still happens.”
Spinnaker’s balance of tradition and adaptability over the years has helped the cafe earn recognition, including being voted Best Breakfast Diner and Cafe by The Daily Sun.
Lisa said she attributes the success of Spinnaker Cafe to the Englewood community with whom she has lived among and served for the last twenty years
“We have customers who volunteer to help us when we are short handed,” Lisa said. “Our community is helpful, they come together when you need support, they help each other, and that frame of mind is what ties everyone together.”
Ahead of major storms, the cafe has given away fresh ingredients rather than let them go to waste — a gesture that reflects the same generosity shown back to them by locals.
As the cafe approaches its 20th season, Lisa said she’s grateful that Englewood has supported Spinnaker as a place to eat and gather.
For more information about Spinnaker Cafe, visit SpinnakerCafe-Englewood.com
