Everybody’s Favorite Café

One morning I had a very early appointment--in my world, anyway, it was very early. After the appointment I had this need to have breakfast. Only I did not want to go home and make it.

That’s when it struck me: Randy and Tracy Walvatne do fried egg sandwiches at Josie”s Corner. That was the ticket! So I was very happy that they were open at 8 a.m.

I ordered the fried egg and sausage on a bagel. This came with my choice of either fruit, coffee, tea or a juice. I went for the juice. The cost was under $5.00. I could not believe it. When Tracy brought me the sandwich I could not believe how big it was. It was perfect too, tasted great and when I was done I was definitely full. I love it.

After that I had to go back for one more the same week, okay, the very next day. What can I say, I like good food.

As I sat there eating my sandwich I was thrilled to notice that it was like being at home eating, nice music playing in the back ground, at the right level for eight in the morning, customers coming in and before they even got to the counter Tracy had already started making their order. Then either the customer or Tracy asked about their day. I love it. Okay, I know I already said that. So I just knew this was a place that HPR readers need to know more about. After all it did win the Reader’s best new restaurant award.

HPR: Can you give us a little background on the two of you?

Tracy: Randy started working in food service in high school. He started at Nine Dragons, and has experienced Randy’s (ironically), Doublewood and the Bison Turf. He is a great line cook, expediter and soup Nazi. He is our freshness police and is really the brains behind the food and the back of the house.

I have more of the non-traditional background. I have a BA in Hotel/Motel Restaurant Management but I worked in food and beverage sales for 17 years. I like the customer contact and the ‘visiting’. I am kind of the brains behind the operation and the front of the house. We think it is the perfect partnership and our yin and yang helps us tackle the many duties of restaurant ownership.

HPR: How long had you thought about opening your own place?

Well, we had always toyed with the idea. Both of us have worked in food service in some capacity and loved it. However, Randy was the one who finally got serious about wanting to do it. Once we started actually planning, it took about three months. Things can move very quickly when an opportunity presents itself.

HPR: What does it take to make a business work?

Wow, that’s a loaded question; do you have a whole page? Here’s our theory: while the food service business is a high-failure venture (I’ve heard as high as 80%), it is not rocket science.

1 Customers come first

2 no matter what you do, do it well

3 don’t complicate your menu or your concept, you can’t be all things to all people.

And finally, 4 Balance the three legs of the financial stool: employee costs, COGS and overhead so that you can achieve positive cash flow. Whew. Does that even make sense?

HPR: Why start a restaurant?

Because it is a helluva lot of fun! People enjoy food and will always need it, so it is jubilant job security. You gotta love it to endure the punishing hours.

HPR: What encouragement or suggestions would you give to someone just starting out in the restaurant business?

Be patient! It takes about five years to establish yourself and entrench your plan. Also, be constantly tweaking your business. Consumer demand is fluid and can never be finally “captured.” Be flexible enough to be able to flow with the constant changes.

HPR: How did you decide baking was something you might want to do?

Randy: It was really born out of our purchase of what was Cynthia’s Custom Cakes. That facet of food service had never occurred to me, but I was prepared for, and even looking forward to, the opportunity to learn. I was a carpenter for ten years, and the precision and attention to measurement helped immensely toward the discipline of baking. Now I thoroughly enjoy it--it suits my personality very well.

HPR: Josie’s is more than a bake shop though. Can you tell the readers what to expect when they come there?

Tracy: The best way I can describe us is that we are your typical small town café located in downtown Fargo. We serve great coffee (If we do say so ourselves), baked from scratch sweets, soup and sandwich style lunches. You come in, order and pay at the counter, help yourself to silverware, napkins and condiments and we bring the food out to you. (Some people call it ‘fast casual’ we call it ‘café style’). We’re pretty laid back and homey. Randy likes to say it’s like going to your grandma’s house for lunch. Fresh, simple, healthy, good.

HPR: I know it’s named after Tracy’s grandmother. Was she a baker then? Do you have some of her signature items on the menu?

Tracy: Josephine Sharp was my maternal grandmother. I have always loved her name. Her spirit is ingrained in our place. While she never owned or operated a restaurant, she loved to bake, and did so every Saturday morning at our home in North Fargo. She ran the ladies aid at the Lutheran Church in Nielsville and fed lots of folks through there. People always said that “Jo made the best cup of coffee.” We like to think she is here with us, infusing love into our food and drink. All the antiques above the door are Josie’s. She baked and cooked and lived with all those items.

HPR: Can people rent your space to have private events?

Absolutely! We have evenings and Sundays available for intimate private gatherings. I say intimate because we can seat about 20 or so and hold about 35 for standing hors d’oeuvre-type gatherings.

We have done everything from fivecourse gourmet meals to birthday parties to graduation open houses to Murder Mystery parties (we actually specialize in Murder Mystery parties if any readers are interested). We work with Denise Balzum from Chef a GoGo to create individual menus for guests; she is a wonderful caterer and fellow foodie.

HPR: Is there anything you would like us to know that I have not asked?

We sell both retail and wholesale, so if you’re a coffee shop or caterer looking for wonderful baked goods, don’t turn on your oven--just call us! We have a great program and are very flexible to work with.

Also, we bake other people’s recipes so if you have a favorite recipe that you want to serve for a special occasion, and don’t want to or can’t bake it, bring it in and we’ll bake it up for you. (Some exclusions apply.)

My parents (Dennis and Joyce) and brother (Mark) are directly involved in the maintenance and beautification of our facility. We really couldn’t do it without them. This is truly a family operated business.

If you’ve never tried our cranberry walnut pie or our pumpkin cookies, well you just haven’t lived! Our pies are memory-inducing; if I had a nickel for every time that a customer has said “…that strawberry-rhubarb pie tasted just like my grandma used to make it…” That’s what makes it all worth it and is why we own Josie’s.

HPR: Will you be involved in the Street Fair, and if so what will you be making?

Yes! This will be our second year directly involved with the Street Fair food court. We have had the great good fortune of being invited to join with the Strawberry Patch folks. One of the originators has retired from the business and we were asked to carry the torch on, so to speak. We serve Strawberry Smoothies, Strawberry Parfaits and Strawberry Tarts. All made with fresh, beautiful mid-summer strawberries. We are very much looking forward to it.

If You Go

What: Josie’s Corner
Where: 524 Broadway N Fargo
When: Weekdays, 7:30-5, Sat., 10-4
Info: (701) 234-0664