KENT, Ohio — After opening in 2019 and thriving during the pandemic, Over Easy Morning Cafe will move into the icon Kent Train Depot later this year.
"We’re in high demand at our restaurant and we needed bigger space," owner Shannon Zemba said. "We were fortunate enough this was available for us."
On any given Sunday, the wait time at Over Easy can exceed two hours, says Zemba's daughter Rayanne Anderson.
Zemba told News 5 the new space will double their seating capacity, and offer them more space for other kinds of events.
The historic train depot, built-in 1875 and restored in 1981, has sat empty since its previous tenant closed during the pandemic.
"It closed in 1970, the historical society saved it from the wrecking ball back in 1980 and it’s been a restaurant ever since," Scott Flynn, Vice President of the Board of Trustees at the Kent Historical Society, said.
"We want to keep the history alive in Kent," Anderson said.
"We’re just honored we get to continue on keeping it alive and not see it go by the wayside like so many other buildings," owner Chad Zemba said.
It’s all part of a growing trend in the downtown area: preserving historic spaces and optimizing them for a modern crowd, as the downtown areas continue to evolve.
"It's become more of a community and family place," Shannon Zemba said.
In September, News 5 highlighted how the bells will ring again at the former Kent First Congregational Church as it transforms into Bell Tower Brewing Company.
"Anytime you can repurpose an old building, it’s more attractive," Flynn said.
The next stop for the owners of Over Easy is getting their move on track and trying to hire more staff.
"A lot of the applications I'm getting are people now getting into the restaurant business that are new, which is okay because I'm willing to train," Shannon Zemba said.
Over Easy Morning Cafe is slated to open in the train depot sometime near the end of this year.
