Ketner Realizes Her Dream: Second Cup Café Re-Opens

By Chris Costanzo

Bethel’s Rhonda Ketner is all smiles these days. After some delays, lots of paper work and bureaucratic hassles, she has now acquired the Second Cup Café in Bethel village. It re-opened in late November on the ground floor of the old Randolph National Bank building.

The Second Cup Café is not altogether new in town. Originally the conception of Bethel’s Jennifer Ankner-Edelstein and her partner Shellie Shaw, it first opened last March as a breakfast and early lunch establishment, but closed in August because it didn’t generate enough business volume during the hours that Ankner-Edelstein could keep it open.

Ketner, however, will be able to open the establishment seven days a week and for longer hours if necessary.

"Actually, we’re still experimenting with the hours, because we’re just getting to know our client base," she told The Herald. "On workdays, it’s a given that we will be open at least between 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m., and we may decide to open earlier and close later, depending on volume."

At the moment the café is staying open until 4 p.m. and its Saturday and Sunday hours are currently 7 a.m.-1 p.m. and 8 a.m.-1 p.m. respectively.

Ketner runs a tight and streamlined ship. The fare is simple, tasty and lots of it, and the service is quick. The breakfast menu has an assortment of egg dishes, pancakes, French toast, side dishes, pastries, and beverages. Lunch features soups, salads, burgers, and assorted hot and cold sandwiches. The late afternoon menu carries clams, scallops, chicken, and steak tips. The establishment is hoping for a brisk take-out trade to supplement its 18-person seating.

It’s the dream of a lifetime for Ketner, who has worked in the restaurant business since she was 11. A graduate of Whitcomb High School, she worked in numerous eating establishments over the years, and at one point owned a small pizza shop. She can legitimately claim a lifetime of experience in restaurant management. For many years, she yearned for a real restaurant of her own. Now she has it and has modified the name slightly. It is now Ketner’s Second Cup Café.

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