The new owners of Momma Jane’s Pancake House in The Dalles make a great husband-wife team: “Barry (Springer) likes quality food, I pride myself on customer service,” said Kaye Smith.
The couple are now drawing on each other’s strengths in the restaurant industry to operate the business they purchased July 1.
A grand opening celebration will be held by Smith and Springer on Labor Day, Sept. 5, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free pancakes will be served at each table from 8 to 10 a.m. and there will be a pancake eating contest (with a secret twist) at 10 a.m.
Every meal ticket will be entered into a drawing for prizes, including a $100 gift card.
Other prizes include Momma Jane’s famous coconut syrup and T-shirts with the restaurant logo “If you leave hungry, it’s your own fault!” emblazoned on the back.
There will also be random discounts throughout the day — provided you have the right cup.
The right cup?
“Our coffee cups don’t match, that’s something we’re very proud of,” said Smith.
Ten cups will be selected and photographed, and whoever presents one of the special cups when paying for a meal will get a discount.
“I’m coming up with some other fun promotions as well,” Smith said.
Customers on Monday will find a new look based on the vintage/retro theme inspired by Springer’s collections.
“We have old car models, old photos. Barry is into Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and we will have models of some of those. We’ll even have a gas station model by the door,” she said.
The carpet will be new and the benches out front spruced up with new paint.
Visitors can expect good food and efficient service as well.
It’s in the blood.
Smith worked as a waitress for Denny’s Restaurant in The Dalles for 34 years, and for a year-and-a-half at Cousin’s Restaurant.
“I’ve been in this my whole life, and I love doing it,” she said.
Springer has also spent most of his life in the restaurant business, starting as a cook when he was 22. When he came to The Dalles in 2000, he was hired by “Momma Jane” herself, Jane Sheppard.
Sheppard, when she purchased the restaurant in 1999, had to change its name, “The Pancake House,” because of a naming dispute. “One of the customers used to call her ‘Momma Jane,’ so she called it that,” said Springer.
Springer left the restaurant to cook at Denny’s, where he met Smith.
The current menu will remain, but Springer is already expanding the offerings. Homemade soup from scratch, seafood and barbeque pork ribs are all working their way onto the menu.
“I like doing big meat roasts,” Springer explained. “This place has never seen barbeque pork ribs.”
For the grand opening, Springer will be cooking up prime ribs and eggs for breakfast.
The restaurant currently employs 10, five full-time and five part-time, in the kitchen and out front.
The couple are hoping to grow the business with a goal of purchasing the building as well.
It’s a popular spot to eat breakfast, especially on the weekend. “We have people lined up outside on the weekend, and it doesn’t take long to get a table,” said Smith. “It’s crazy on the weekends, and I hope to grow that into weekdays as well.”
Like her husband, Smith is also expanding the restaurant’s offerings. “I love to bake,” she said. (“I hate baking,” Springer chuckles.) She will be offering cheesecake, fresh muffins and desserts. “I love to bake after hours, when no one is here.”
They are also going to start serving hand-dipped milk shakes. “It just seems like something we should have here,” Smith said.
Yet much about the restaurant won’t change, and the couple appreciate that as well.
“It’s exciting to be a part of something that is so The Dalles,” Springer said. “People all over the place know this restaurant.” In fact, the first name in their guest book — a new idea at Momma Jane’s — is an Australian man who was riding a Harley from New York to the west coast and back.
He isn’t the only biker to find his way into the restaurant, either. It’s one of the favorite stops of the BACA bike club (BACA stands for Bikers Against Child Abuse.)
Who eats at Momma Jane’s? “It’s very diverse,” said Springer. “Young, old families. It’s just everybody.”
“Momma Jane’s is the place to go,” agreed Smith.
Momma Jane’s is located at 900 W. Sixth Street and is open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. seven days a week. Smith and Springer can be reached at 541-296-6622.
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