ELMWOOD – Once a successful bar and grill, Kern’s Kurbside in Elmwood has been transformed into Kern’s Hometown Café, a vision shared by the mother-daughter duo of Steph Kern and Kendra Kern.

The bar and grill had its last hurrah during UFO Days in July and reopened as a café on Sept. 1. Kendra inspired the change after her graduation from UW-River Falls with a degree in social work. After interning at Staying Put (an organization that provides social activities and assistance to seniors in Spring Valley and Elmwood), she wanted to make a difference in her own community. She has a soft spot for seniors and wants to create intergenerational opportunities for the community to come together.

“I really wanted to make a change in rural communities,” Kendra said. “I just feel like we’re underserved sometimes; 25% of the senior population in this town is in poverty. I was really fighting for providing nutritional food and fighting social isolation.”

She and her mother commiserated over their shared goals and decided that opening Kern’s Hometown Café would be a good balance for them both.

“We need something here, something other than a bar,” Kendra said. “When I was in high school, I was in every sport possible, but after high school, there’s nothing to do for the younger population other than go to a bar and drink.”

Steph said both she and Kendra have worked at Welcome Home Assisted Living. They talked about the need for a senior center in town.

“Like she said, she had graduated and she wants to work with the elderly and eventually get into counseling and therapy, in geriatrics and for families,” Steph said. “It was one of those things. I love to cook and I love the community and doing fundraisers for the community. I wanted a place where anybody can come and feel comfortable, if you’re a year old or 90 years old. Something intergenerational. What better way to do that than with food and drinks.”

Kendra is the café barista and prides herself on making fancy coffee drinks for the younger crowd yet providing simple yet tasty Creekside Coffee for those who just like a good cup of joe. She enjoys working at Kern’s while she attends graduate school at St. Thomas University, because it provides her the flexibility she needs plus allows her to interact with all ages.

The café offers a full breakfast menu all day, along with Hanisch Bakery items, deli sandwiches, lunchbox options, home-cooked favorites and catfish dinners on Fridays. Steph also provides Meals on Wheels for Spring Valley/Elmwood through the Pierce County Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC).

Kendra remains close to Staying Put and the café is partnering with them to host morning coffee twice a month. This allows Elmwood seniors who might not have known about Staying Put’s offerings to learn more and socialize.

“This has been helpful for them (Staying Put) because then they can connect with Elmwood clients as well,” Kendra said. “It’s all about finding the best way to get the word out. They met so many Elmwood people at the first coffee group. People are asking about it now.”

The Kerns will also be hosting community dinners on the first Wednesday of the month starting in February from 4-7 p.m., which is meant to bring all generations together. The cost will be $5 for seniors and veterans, $8 for everyone else and kids 4 and under eat free. Dinner will be available for dine-in or takeout. February’s menu will feature homemade pork tips over mashed potatoes and green beans.

Changing from a bar and grill to a café has been a nice change for the ladies.

“It has definitely been a different crowd than we’ve ever seen,” Steph said. “The kids that come in before school for their fancy coffee drinks. We also deliver to the school on Thursdays. The community is very appreciative and they just love to come in and visit. It’s a nice social gathering.”

“I just feel like we’re bringing in people of every generation. Everything has been so different since Covid, with people wanting to interact and socialize,” Kendra added.

Steph’s older daughter works at the café as well and often brings in her 1-year-old son.

“He hangs out with us, he’s the kitchen supervisor,” Steph laughed.

As the interview was winding down, the women were making plans to work on low-carb, gluten free bagel recipes. Kendra is gluten free and her sister is celiac, so it’s important to her to have options for all kinds of diets.

Steph is also working on a celebrity chef program.

“One Saturday night a month they can come in and use the kitchen and do like a five-course meal. I will be there to help them through it all. They can invite their family and friends. Come in and cook for them and give them that experience,” she said.

The café also provides catering for any event, from weddings to birthday parties to class reunions. Groups up to 50 can use the café for free, provided Kern’s caters the event, along with the patio in the warmer months.

The women are committed to meeting people’s needs, so they will be posting surveys on their social media.

“I love community connection, 100%,” Kendra said. “We’re constantly trying to change every day and trying to meet customers’ needs and wants. I take it from a social work approach, assessing what people need and want. I think those kinds of things have been helping too because you don’t know how to change if people don’t tell us.”

Steph said she agrees wholeheartedly. They’re trying to give the community a place they can come and feel safe and intertwine between the different generations. Make sure to check out the American Legion wall, the Don Blegen display, the Rock Elm Disturbance exhibit and the different Elmwood sports memorabilia adorning the cozy café. It feels like home.

Kern’s Hometown Café is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Follow them on Facebook and stay tuned for a new website. They are located at 109 N. Main St., Elmwood.

If you’re interested in the Meals on Wheels program, call the Pierce County ADRC at 715-273-6780.