8 newportbeachindy . com JANUARY 6 , 2023
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Cappy ’ s Café Celebrates 40 Years of Serving Fun Food and Fond Memories
Cappy ’ s owners Tim and Sheryl Campbell
By Christopher Trela | NB Indy
Restaurants come and go . So do food trends . You might say the only thing permanent in the restaurant industry is change .
Surviving more than 20 years is impressive . Few local restaurants can match Five Crowns ’ record of 55 + years , but we do have several that have been around for many decades .
One of those is Cappy ’ s Café on Coast Highway , a longtime local landmark that ’ s been serving bountiful breakfasts and luscious lunches for 40 years .
Owners Sheryl and Tim Campbell officially commemorated Cappy ’ s 40th year of serving the community with a ribbon-cutting event in October attended by Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley , and a special anniversary menu featuring 40-cent items .
Sheryl and Tim know their restaurant is essentially a time machine for so many fans , who bring their kids and grandkids to Cappy ’ s to keep the dining legacy alive .
Cappy ’ s French toast
According to Tim , he and his wife purchased Cappy ’ s four years ago after spending time in Hawaii running a wholesale seafood distributor business as well as a seafood restaurant . Tim also has 30 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry .
Tim and Sheryl decided to move back to the mainland and settled in Corona del Mar . “ At that time I really had the restaurant love ,” said Tim . “ I was more the CEO , which taught me a lot . I told my wife I really love this business and want to buy a restaurant , but I have a number of criteria .”
Among the criteria : close to where they lived , something preferably on Coast Highway , something that was profitable and not a turnaround restaurant .
“ I wanted something that has a great reputation , and I wanted stability of the staff ,” stated Tim . “ I wanted to know that the back of house and front of house staff has been there for a long period of time . I also wanted a long-term lease , and
I wanted a lot of parking . I knew that if there is no parking , people will leave .”
He talked with brokers who showed him some restaurant options but nothing Tim found suitable until one broker said he had a potential spot not on the market but would talk to the owner and see if he was interested in selling .
That owner was David Dukes . The restaurant was Cappy ’ s .
“ He said he was interested but wanted to meet me to make sure I had experience in what I was doing , and had the vision he had as far as taking Cappy ’ s to the next level ,” recalled Tim . “ I met with him , struck a deal , and closed in four months . It was the best thing we ever did .”
Once Tim and Sheryl owned the restaurant they had it repainted , and they refreshed the menu , which Tim said was tired — not the food necessarily , but the menu itself needed updating . They took photos of the popular menu items and added them to the menu . They did swap out some slow selling dishes for
new ones , but Tim knew there were many items that could never leave the menu .
According to Tim , they wanted to see how they could enhance the experience .
“ It ’ s the things you don ’ t see ,” said Tim . “ On the weekends the restaurant was so loud we could not even talk . I knew we could bring in soundproofing and reduce the sound , and that ’ s exactly what we did . The uniforms are important . It ’ s a fresh look . I like nametags , and the staff is friendly . It ’ s the culture .”
Tim estimates that Cappy ’ s serves around 120,000 customers every year , many of whom are frequent longtime patrons who bring their daughters or grandson in to get a taste of the Cappy ’ s food , and ambiance .
“ Our executive chef has been here 25 years , the busboy has been here 22 years , one server , Lindsay , has been here 12 years ,” noted Tim . “ A lot of people have been here a long time . Having that stability , the food is consistent .”
Cappy ’ s is open daily from 8 a . m . to 2 p . m . Tim tried creating a weekend dinner menu but found that his customers preferred dining in the daytime , so evening service went away .
“ At the end of the day , people know us for breakfast and lunch , not dinner ,” said Tim . “ Weekends we are full . Weekends are wild and crazy here .”
Tim also listens to his customers . One longtime diner told him that he loved cinnamon swirl French toast and has seen it at other restaurants .
“ I added it to our menu , and now it ’ s out best seller ,” said Tim .
That may be , but I loved my Veggie Skillet with scrambled eggs , avocado , broccoli , bell peppers , mushrooms and cheddar cheese served atop seasoned potatoes . It ’ s a wonderfully hearty dish that I ’ d make my go-to breakfast every time , except there are so many other wonderful dishes still to try .
For more information , visit https :// www . cappyscafe . com .
CHARITY SPOTLIGHT
Newport Beach-based OC Community Foundation Holds Annual Meeting Amplifying Giving in Orange County
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By NB Indy Staff
Nearly 400 philanthropists , business and community members gathered for the Orange County Community Foundation ’ s 2022 Annual Meeting on Dec . 1 .
Held in person for the first time since 2019 , the event was a celebration of the profound impact of giving in Orange County , across the country and around the world .
While addressing the sold-out
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audience at the Westin South Coast Plaza , OCCF President and CEO Shelley Hoss highlighted the Foundation ’ s iheartOC Giving Days reaching a landmark milestone of $ 20 million raised for OC nonprofits since 2015 , the launch of the Orange County Social Justice Fund by philanthropist and community leader Keith Swayne , and a 10-year refresh of OCCF ’ s ConnectOC data on needs and trends in the OC community . |
The Newport Beach-based Foundation ’ s assets grew to $ 530 million during the fiscal year ending June 30 , 2022 , and OCCF is on track to surpass the $ 1 billion mark in cumulative granting well before its target date in 2024 in honor of its 35th anniversary .
“ We are thrilled to be back in person and highlighting the best of the head and the heart throughout Orange County ,” said Hoss . “ There ’ s
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nothing more inspiring than seeing the passion of generous donors , nonprofit partners , and business leaders all working together to strengthen and support our community .”
As of the close of the 2022 fiscal year , OCCF ’ s assets grew to $ 530 million – placing it in the top 7 percent among more than 780 U . S . community foundations . OCCF received
FOUNDATION Page 9
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