Cafe owners chat about business, friendship & the challenges of restaurant ownership

When Angie Wierzbinski and Amy Plennes purchased The National Cafe from Nell Benton in 2019, the two long-time friends had no idea that, within their first year of business ownership they’d confront not only the usual challenges of entrepreneurism, but also the uncertainty of a global pandemic.

During this week’s podcast, we chat with the two owners about their decision to take over the longtime neighborhood cafe, the magic that makes their partnership work and the grit they employed to make sure the business survived the first stretch of the COVID-19 pandemic. Along the way, they paint the picture of two friends who’ve made full use of their complementary talents to survive one of the most challenging times in restaurant history.