After 38 years, Kortman?s restaurant will change owners

Thirty-eight years and a plethora of milkshakes later, Cliff and Mae Kortman are ready to hang up their aprons and hand over the ownership of their diner, Kortman?s Restaurant, to local businessman, Perry Perrou. Cliff and Mae bought the restaurant in August of 1968 and it has been well known for its home cooked meals, freshly baked pies and authentic milkshakes ever since. Although Mae refuses to take credit for the cooking, she and Cliff have overseen the success of their restaurant for all of the years it has been in business.

Before they became restaurant owners, Mae worked as an accountant for the Chevrolet dealership and Cliff was retired from the Fish and Wildlife department of the DNR. He had served in the Army as a cook, where Mae says he ?learned his way around the kitchen.? Since opening, Mae has worked as the bookkeeper and Cliff has managed the operation of the business. In its history, Kortman?s Restaurant has employed many area residents.

?We have had some very fine employees over the years,? said Mae. ?We couldn?t have operated without them.? A sure sign of a good business can be the number of years workers have been employed by it. In the case of Kortman?s Restaurant, Mae said that some former employees were with the business for over 20 years. ?Linda Felax worked as a waitress and manager for us for 25 years, and Delores Zampich was an excellent cook with us for many years as well.? Mae also mentioned that the restaurant has employed some workers since high school, and currently employs many students from the area as well. ?Cindy Swan, who has worked with us for many years, started when she was in high school,? said Mae. ?We also have very promising students working for us, and you couldn?t ask for better kids.?

It?s not only the home cooking and dedicated staff that people think of when Kortman?s Restaurant comes to mind. Cliff was an avid collector of old clocks and had more than 100 of them lining the walls and shelves of the restaurant. He also had a collection of glass chickens that could be found perche

d and peeking out at visiting patrons. Part of Cliff?s collection will stay in the restaurant, while some of it will go home with the Kortmans. These are some of the unique details of Kortman?s Restaurant that will stay the same with the new owner. Perry Perrou, who owns and operates Perrou Construction in Rogers City, plans on keeping Kortman?s Restaurant the same, right down to its name. ?We will probably change the interior a little, but basically it will be the same restaurant that it has always been,? said Perrou. Marie Mulka will step in as restaurant manager, while the current employees will remain the same.

?We are really glad that the restaurant was bought by someone in the community who wants to keep it a family restaurant,? said Mae. ?We wish (Perrou) all the best.? In the meantime, Cliff and Mae Kortman are busy taking care of paperwork and preparing to settle into a more relaxing life. ?We were ready to sell mainly because of our age,? said Mae. ?We are tying up some loose ends and then we will relax for awhile and see what we want to do next.?