New restaurant expected to open this summer in Evergreen

A new breakfast and lunch restaurant is planned to open in time for summer in the former Perkins Family Restaurant in Evergreen.

Two Brothers Cafe, owned and operated by Nick and Esmeralda Aliu, is set to be open seven days per week from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The restaurant is located at the corner of U.S. 2 and Montana 35.

Nick Aliu said his family moved here after visiting in 2019.

“We really liked the area so we decided to move. It was hard, but we wanted a change. It’s beautiful here, our kids love it, and there is so much to do,” Aliu said. “Then we saw this place that was closed so we jumped on it.”

The building has been vacant since the closure of Perkins Family Restaurant and Bakery in 2020. Updates such as painting the outside of the building and fixing the parking lot are currently underway to breathe new life into the space and meet the needs of their future customers.

“It’s going to look really nice in here,” Aliu said. “It will be a good place to come in and have a meal or a coffee and meet with people. You can use the restaurant for so many things.”

Two Brothers Cafe is set to open in June and will offer American breakfast and lunch foods such as skillets, eggs, and pancakes. So far, the Alius have hired some wait staff, but are still looking for people to work in the kitchen.

“We’re going to have about 150 seats here so we need a lot of people to work here, probably 20 to 25 employees,” he said. “It’s always going to be a little hard at the beginning, but I’m sure we will find the right people.”

Before moving to the valley, Nick owned a full menu breakfast, lunch, and dinner restaurant in Illinois while Esmeralda spent the last five years as a stay at home mom. Their two sons, Robert and Leonardo, serve as the inspiration for the name Two Brothers Cafe.

“Believe it or not, I first started as a bartender when I was 15 years old in North Macedonia since there is no age limit there,” said Nick. “Then, when I was 18, I moved to the United States. I had an uncle who had a restaurant and I started working for him and I just stuck with it.”

In 2015, Nick bought his own restaurant, but sold it in 2021 in order to make the move to Kalispell. With Nick’s 20 plus years of restaurant experience and Esmeralda’s managerial skills, the duo have a solid foundation to provide great food and customer service to the valley.

“My wife worked as a manager at Walmart for 17 years and is really good at dealing with people. She is so polite and takes care of her employees. On the other hand, I’m a chef so it works perfectly for our restaurant,” said Nick.

One bonus of owning a breakfast and lunch spot, according to Nick, is that it allows time for them and their staff to enjoy adventures after the restaurant closes. The Alius hope that opening another brunch restaurant will also alleviate the long weekend wait times at other restaurants.

“On the weekends, there are always lines to wait for breakfast and that’s why we decided to do breakfast and lunch,” said Nick. “We are family oriented and we provide good food and service. We’re not some investing company. We’re here to stay. We plan to live here for the rest of our days.”

To learn more, visit the cafe’s Facebook page Two Brothers Cafe.