Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Marie Hennessey.
Hi Anne, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Michael Hennessey opened the White Wolf Cafe in 1991 with his business partner Chris Coyle at Orange Avenue Antique Market. When I (Anne Marie Hennessey) met Michael, in 1994 the front half was the cafe and the back half antique store. It was a cute bohemian cafe that served lunch and dinner with live music on the weekends. As soon as I walked in the door, Michael greeted me with the charismatic welcome that he gave all his guests. Fast forward, to 1998 we got married and bought out Chris Coyle. I quit my job as a teacher and became a full-time manager. It has been a family business ever since. Now both of our children ages 17 and 19 work with us during summers and holidays. They have grown up in the business and have social skills that are beyond most kids their age. When Michael retired in 2017, we expanded our management team.
I manage that team and am still involved in all day-to-day operations. We are very thankful to have been a part of the Orlando food scene for almost 32 years! We hope to keep it going and be around for a very long time to come. The Cafe has evolved over the years. We now do breakfast and lunch every day until 3. Dinner Thursday through Sunday. We added a full bar in 2004. The interior has had several different configurations, but it has stayed true to its original Antique store vibe. We have been named Best Brunch in Orlando, one of Orlando’s Top Ten Gems, and featured on the Food Network. Interesting facts. Our granite tables are made from the walls of the old Orlando city hall. The bar is made from granite from the old Orange Bank building that was on Orange Ave. Through all the changes, our guests have our focus. We want everyone who walks into the door to feel at home and like they are honored, guests. Over the years we have also been able to develop a work environment that can be hard to find in this business. We enjoy coming to work because the environment is positive. We know we will work hard, but if we can have fun and encourage each other while we do it, it makes all the difference. We have employees who have been with us for as long as 18 years and who are there today.
My favorite part of the business has always been the people we are lucky enough to serve. Whether it is being a listening ear for someone who is visiting someone in the hospital down the street or a family celebrating something special. I love talking to people and being a part of their lives. The cafe was named after Michael’s white German shepherd Casper who would hang out here when it was just an antique store.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The restaurant business is hard work. It is a constant challenge. It could be the price of eggs has gone through the roof one day to needing to replace an air conditioner the next day. Or the flu that is going around that leaves a bunch of your staff at home recovering when you have a full dining room of guests that need to be taken care of. It is never dull and there is always something that needs your attention. Some of the big challenges over the year have been the time following 9/11. The economy contracted sharply right after that and sales were down. We renovated and opened for Breakfast for the first time. While lunch and dinner were declining breakfast was increasing. The idea of having to pivot became so ubiquitous during covid has always been a part of any successful restaurant. You have to be willing and able to change to survive. We closed down during covid for 5 months. We were blessed to get almost all of our staff back as soon as we reopened.
We also felt the love of many long-time customers messaging us on social media asking if we were doing ok and when we would reopen. We had a couple who would come to celebrate the anniversary of their first date that took place at the cafe. They come to celebrate with us every year. They messaged us while we were closed for covid to see if they could sit outside and have lunch even though we were closed. So I met them down at the cafe with a bottle of champagne during the middle of the pandemic so we could still be a part of their celebration. It felt so good to be a part of our community in some small way during that crazy uncertain time. Thankfully we are busier than ever. Brunch is our mainstay these days and we are working to grow our dinner business. You have to evolve, change and keep showing up and working hard every day.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am most proud that we try to make everyone feel welcome no matter who they are. That we are a very diverse community, and our customers span all different sorts of people. We are known for an amazing brunch, huge cinnamon rolls, and award-winning burgers.
Signature salads that people come back for and only order that one thing decades later because they can’t get it anywhere else. I am proud to have a place where people enjoy working and where we care about each other. To have survived so long and be better than ever after all these years.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
My father was an avid cook. He did all the cooking in my house.
He definitely used food as his love language. It makes sense to me to care for people with good food and great hospitality. It brings me joy to see our customers feel welcome and like they are a part of the White Wolf.
Contact Info:
- Website: Whitewolfcafe.com
- Instagram: @White_wolf_cafe
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whitewolfcafe/
