Ten years ago last spring, Wyoming was abuzz with the opening of a new restaurant on the corner of Wyoming Ave. and Springfield Pike. Dale and Patty Hipsley, owners of Half Day Cafe, have watched as their family has grown up along with their business. Half Day Café has become a Wyoming landmark and draws crowds from around the region to the community. As they celebrate 10 years, Hipsley says they’ve got a lot of good memories to look back on and many more to look forward to.
“I’m delighted we’re still here, still married and still in business,” Hipsley says with a laugh. “As a small business, there are challenges. But we’ve got a loyal following and I think people love a business like this embedded in a community.”
Half Day Café is known for its creative seasonal dishes and standard favorites like buttermilk pancakes and omelettes, all served in a light-filled, airy atmosphere that can’t help but make you feel happy. Diners can gaze out the big sunny windows as they munch and enjoy the leafy sidewalks that surround the building, which has been adeptly described as “super-cute.”
Locals have called it “Wyoming’s lunch-room” and appreciate it as a real hometown business where everyone knows your name and makes you feel welcome. The menu is created by Patty, while Dale manages the business side of things and helps in the dining room. For menu details, go to halfdaycafe.org. It was named Wyoming Business of the Year in 2008 and has racked up dozens of favorable reviews.
In true Wyoming style, the Hipsleys designed their business around their young family. Hence, its half day schedule (Monday-Saturday 7 a.m.-2 p.m.), so mom and dad could be home with the kids in the evenings. The family has grown up a bit, but helping out in the restaurant is still a tradition for Ella and Nathaniel, who pitched in to clean tables after school in the early days.
Many Half Day employees have been on board since the beginning, a distinguishing feature that Hipsley says is popular with customers.
As for the next 10 years, Hipsley won’t speculate on what they might bring, but says he is open to expanding with the right opportunities. He says he will always be grateful for the chance that fate brought to operate an independent restaurant in a supportive community with the family he loves.
