INDIANAPOLIS — As many businesses and restaurants close their doors amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a new restaurant on the northeast side is thriving as it brings homemade food to a small town — and takes some patrons down memory lane.
Tam’s Sweet & Savory Café opened at 6427 Oaklandon Road in August. It was once a home where Bonnie Reynolds said she lived more than 50 years ago with her husband as newlyweds.
Reynolds said she and her husband moved into the home in 1963 after getting married in the church across the street.
“When I first walked in here to have lunch with my daughter on her birthday, I looked around and it just brought back all kinds of memories, so I asked the lady, I said, 'Can I just walk around and look at every room?' And then I explained to her that I had lived here 57 years ago,” Reynolds said.
We met in what was once Reynolds’ spare bedroom. Now, it's a place for diners to enjoy homemade breakfast and lunch.
“I wanted to do something smaller and quaint and just a place where people felt like they were going to their aunt's to have lunch,” said Tammy Cunningham, the owner of Tam’s Sweet & Savory Café.
Cunningham kept the original layout of the home, including the kitchen.
“We built our menu around that knowing that it was going to be very small space, so our menu is small, but it's bursting with lots of flavors,” Cunningham said.
She said hearing from customers like Reynolds reminds her why she chose to open her cafe in a small town.
“We're here to serve the community," Cunningham said. "We offer a good customer service and great food, and we just want you to feel at home when you're here."
Reynolds said she is excited to bring her old friends back to visit the house she calls the "Old Grand Central Station of Oaklandon Road."
“Lots of good memories, lots of good memories it's always fun to reminisce,” Reynolds said.
Cunningham said business has been good during the pandemic, but they are prepared for another shutdown and now offer online orders for pickup and hope people will utilize it.
