Mornings are Best at Katie’s Kitchen

Mornings are Best at Katie’s Kitchen

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

For many people, breakfast is the best meal of the day. Whether the preferred meal is bacon and eggs, pancakes, a batch of cinnamon toast…or a sweet roll and coffee, a breakfast made and served by an expert is a treat.

Jason Gurnari, owner of Katie's Kitchen, serving up a tray of his famous homemade cinnamon rolls

Jason Gurnari, the owner of Katie’s Kitchen (located in Clarke Plaza at 35 Center Street in Wolfeboro), gets it when it comes to what breakfast lovers want. The menu at the charming little restaurant reflects a love of starting the day with good food in a friendly atmosphere.

As a child, Jason spent summers with his family in Wolfeboro. He loved the area, and moved to New Hampshire permanently about 13 years ago. Jason has been in the restaurant business for years and has served as bar manager at the Wolfeboro Inn, as well as at the Inn on Main. He also was the food and beverage manager at Gunstock, and more recently he was the manager at the Lodge at Smith Point.

However, it was always Jason’s dream to own his own restaurant and when he got a call from the owner of Katie’s Kitchen, he felt the time was right to make the move.

Jason purchased the restaurant in May of this year. The previous owner had run the business for about 35 years and wanted to retire. She made the right choice in Jason, due to his solid knowledge of the restaurant business and his good work ethic and vision to bring the business into the future.

Jason wanted to keep the casual and friendly atmosphere for the eatery, but with necessary upgrades. He knew Katie’s Kitchen was the place where many locals gathered for breakfast and he wanted to maintain that welcoming atmosphere.

“I bought the business when COVID started,” Jason says. For many, that fact would have been a game changer, and they wouldn’t have made the move to take over restaurant ownership at such an uncertain time. But Jason saw opportunity and he knew Katie’s Kitchen already had a loyal customer base. Most importantly, Jason had confidence in his ability to bring the business into the future with renovations and a great menu.

“We did a lot of remodeling,” Jason says. He bought the business in May and spent an intensive few months on renovations, opening to the public on June 28. Much of the former restaurant saw a remodel and new equipment was installed with an emphasis on creating a welcoming atmosphere.

Due to restrictions for the reopening of New Hampshire restaurants due to the pandemic, Jason added some outdoor seating; the total seating is for 29 people. Like all restaurant owners, Jason is aware outdoor seating will not be an option in the cold winter months, but he has complied with the rulings for social distancing for indoor seating, spacing tables apart.

Once open, customers were delighted with the sparkling clean restaurant…as well as Jason’s new menu. Early risers found a warm welcome, and Jason, who turns on the lights to begin his day very early, says locals know if the lights are on and the coffee is brewing they are welcome to come in for breakfast. (Open hours are officially 5 am to noon on weekdays and 6 am to noon on weekends.)

Reviews have been extremely favorable such as these on Trip Advisor: “Visited during (re)opening week and the new owners were super personable and have big plans for this little breakfast spot. Their daily special featured fruit from local farms and neighboring business owners were dining there too (when locals support locals, you know it's a good spot). Great cinnamon buns and great prices too!” and “This little breakfast gem has gotten a fresh new look from the new owner! The portions are very generous and food was delicious. Staff is super friendly. Home-made corned beef hash is great, and prices can't be beat! Will be back often!”

 “We plan to start serving lunch as well very soon and at that time we will be open until 2 pm,” Jason adds.

The switch from serving breakfasts to breakfast and lunch will bring some great menu items to the business. Jason stresses they are no longer frying anything at Katie’s Kitchen. “We use the grill and we will be offering a number of sandwich options and homemade chili and hot soups. Also, we will have a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches on different breads available. Sides will include pasta salad, a veggie option, potato salad and more.”

If you want to polish off your lunch with dessert, there will be fresh baked seasonal desserts, including everyone’s favorite: homemade pies.

Referring to homemade baked goods, Jason adds that the muffins and his famous cinnamon rolls are made on-premises as well. “The cinnamon rolls are really popular with our customers!” he adds.

Corned beef for the popular breakfast corned beef hash is also made in-house, roasted two or three times a week. Many products are locally sourced, such as the eggs, maple syrup, bacon and sausage and the goal has been and continues to be to offer high-quality meals at a low price.

For those wondering who Katie (as in the business name Katie’s Kitchen) might be, Jason says the name was given to the restaurant by the former owner and he decided to keep the name because it is known to customers.

Extra touches add to the experience of eating at Katie’s Kitchen, such as art exhibits on the restaurant’s walls. The exhibits feature the work of local artists, such as Cosmic Moose Art, and change monthly.

Reviews for the new menu and ownership of the restaurant have been positive, and a check on any given day to Katie’s Kitchen’s Facebook page offers a glimpse at daily specials. For example, social media posts show photos of such mouthwatering breakfast options as blueberry stuffed French toast, strawberry shortcake French toast, onion, tomato, feta and spinach quiche, blueberry and cranberry muffins, and of course those sinfully delicious cinnamon rolls to name but a few menu items.

If breakfast on any given day of the week is your thing, plan a visit to Katie’s Kitchen. Stop by for a cinnamon roll or muffin or a full breakfast and very soon, make Katie’s Kitchen your place to go for a great lunch, just the thing to warm you up as we head into the autumn and winter seasons. Catering is also available, and all menu items also are offered for take-out.

For information call Katie’s Kitchen at 603-569-1406. Please follow “Katie’s Kitchen NH” on Facebook and on Instagram: @katieskitchennh.