After around six months as a Mexican restaurant, the building at 202 E. Main St. in Marion reopened this past weekened as Country Lakes Cafe.
Larry and Barbara Smith, who owned Country Lakes prior to it becoming a Mexican restaurant, are again managing the restaurant that opened Sunday.
?We missed the business,? Barbara Smith said. ?We loved it. We enjoyed the people and we enjoyed the work.?
With the reopening comes a new menu, Smith said.
?We?re trying something new,? she said. ?Instead of a regular menu, we are going to offer a variety of choices on a buffet.?
The buffet will take a break on Thursdays, when a full selection of sandwiches will be available in the afternoon. On Thurs?day evenings a menu of select items and the Southwest chicken wrap will be ?back by popular demand,? Smith said.
With the new buffet, customers will fill their own plates, but a wait staff, including many of the original Country Lakes team members, will be hired for drink, salad and dessert orders.
?Many people have asked us if we?re going to have our singing waiters again,? Smith said.
She plans to have her staff of young singers?who perform anything from classic rock-n-roll to country and western to jazz?on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Hours for Country Lakes Cafe will be 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday; and 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday.
Smith said the cafe will feature Reign?s Famous Fried Chicken on the Sunday buffet.
?We really missed the restaurant,? Smith said. ?We?re looking forward to reopening.?
