WOOD RIVER - Kumar's Kafe in Wood River has been one of the city's most frequented eateries; in fact, it is something of an institution.
When Ellen Kumar announced she was going to retire and place the business into new hands, many Wood River residents were concerned the restaurant would not stay the same. With the recent purchase of the business by Dan Lavite, however, things are looking positive for fans of the establishment.
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"The new owner will be taking over July 1, and I think the hours are staying the same, he's keeping the employees and we'll still have the same menu," Ellen Kumar said.
She said she has been a part of the restaurant in 1981, before marrying founder Surinder Kumar in 1987. During that time, Ellen Kumar said she has been a waitress for nearly four decades. She said now is the time for her to "finally hang it all up."
"I'm not going anywhere else or doing anything else," she said. "I'm just hanging it up here. I am in need of foot and knee surgery, and I'm getting ready to do those things before I worry about anything else."
Ellen Kumar said she was confident Lavite would keep the restaurant the same favorite the people of Wood River have known for those many decades during which she worked there.
