Cafe Max becomes Capers

By KRISTI ALBERTSON

Transformation of upscale Kalispell restaurant under way

The Daily Inter Lake

Many people would consider closing a popular restaurant to open another in its place a less-than-savvy business move.

So when Doug and Vonnie Day opted to close Cafe Max, a downtown Kalispell fixture for nearly a decade, and open a new restaurant in the same locality, public confusion was no surprise.

"I've had calls from all over Montana, wondering if it's true," Vonnie Day said.

It's true indeed.

On Sept. 30, Cafe Max closed.

By the end of the month, however, the Days' new venture, Capers, will open at the same location, at 121 Main Street.

While it will be a new restaurant with a new atmosphere and new menu, Capers is really Cafe Max transformed, Doug Day said. It's not the end of the meal; it's simply clearing plates from the appetizer to make room for the main course.

"Cafe Max is evolving into what we had always hoped it would be," he said. "It's like poker: You don't show your best cards on the first hand. I've been saving things for a long time."

New recipes, new techniques and imaginative products all will be part of the Days' new restaurant. Some Cafe Max favorites still will be available; Day plans to name some of them after loyal patrons who ate the same thing every week for 10 years. He'll keep some high-end menu items, but he and his wife want to broaden the scope of their spread with more moderately priced meals.

"We felt like the time was right for us to do something new, a little less formal," Vonnie Day said. "We're just lightening the mood a little bit."

It's the denouement after a decade of ups and downs.

Cafe Max began as an outlet for chef Doug Day, whose soups at the now-defunct Wolfgang's were legendary. The restaurant soon earned a reputation as one of Kalispell's top dinner destinations, and it consistently appeared on the valley's "best of" list.

Difficulty came because the Days, lacking a liquor license of their own, allowed customers to bring their own alcoholic beverages to dinner. This aggravated some tavern owners, who feared they might lose business. Eventually, however, Cafe Max got its license, and patrons could purchase a glass of wine to enjoy with their meals.

In recent months, the restaurant has been nothing but successful. Despite rumors to the contrary, the Days aren't making the change because of financial difficulty.

"We've been No. 1 since the day we opened," Doug Day said. "We've had the best year we've ever had."

But change is healthy, he said, and the timing is right. "It's kind of like a sports athlete going out on top."

And while the transition is news to patrons, it's been part of the Days' plan for years. Part of their motivation to act now stems from recent changes in downtown Kalispell. The newly renovated Red Lion Hotel Kalispell and new restaurants in the city's core have contributed to a more vibrant area, Vonnie Day said.

"We've always been optimistic about downtown Kalispell, and now we're more optimistic than ever," she said.

Doug agreed. "We think it's just right for the community," he said. "We're a downtown restaurant. We're a neighborhood restaurant."

The increasing availability of high-quality organic foods also factored into their decision to change. The restaurant has always focused on natural ingredients, Doug Day said, but now they will play an even greater role.

"Better access to specialty products - that's the energy behind Capers," he said.

The food won't have any particular focus, apart from quality, he said. He'll make "American comfort food" - including an organic beef hamburger with a homemade honey-wheat bun - but will offer cuisine from other parts of the world as well.

"Our goal isn't to be a specific kind of dining," he said. "We just want to have a professional restaurant with professional food."

The Days have the advantage of opening the new restaurant with their staff already in place. All their Cafe Max employees are making the transition with them, and they expect to hire several more as well, bringing the total to more than 20.

Extra employees are necessary, because unlike its predecessor, Capers will be open seven nights a week. And although he has a competent culinary crew, Day feels obligated to spend much of his time in the kitchen.

"I feel it's very important for me to be there. I will be there every night," he said. "It's a real commitment to go to the seventh day in business. It takes a lot of work just to break even."

Even more work went into choosing a new name. It's hard to name a dog, Day said, and harder still to name a child. But hardest of all is naming a restaurant.

"We could have named it something like, 'Andre's Red Carpet,'" he said. "Well, would you go to it?"

His wife shook her head. "Sounds expensive."

"Capers" refers not to the Mediterranean buds (although they are on the menu), but to the new ambiance the Days hope to create.

"That's why we chose the name. It's kind of a lighthearted word," Vonnie Day said.

"Sometimes the name is just perfect," her husband said. "It's very clean. That's what I like about it."

So far, the remodel is right on schedule, and Capers could open as early as Oct. 30.

"We'll have a quiet opening and hope that people show up," Vonnie said.

Until then, they continue to work - and hope their counterintuitive decision was the right one.

"There have been a few nights when I've woke up at 3 o'clock in the morning," Doug admitted. "But things don't have to remain the same. People like change. Well, some people don't - but I do."

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com