When will Bradley’s Corner Café open again?

TOPEKA (KSNT) – The owners of a nearly 20-year-old Topeka restaurant known for its fresh pies says Topekans won’t have to wait much longer for it to open again.

Standing on the corner of NE Laurent Street and North Kansas Avenue in NOTO, Bradley’s Corner Café lives up to its name. It has been giving hungry customers a place to sit down and enjoy everything from biscuits and gravy to cheeseburgers since it opened its doors in 2006. That is, until it had to shutter its doors in the summer of 2023.

Bradley Jennings, the owner of the café, broke his silence on the close by issuing a statement on social media where he attributed the closure to retirement difficulties. Part of his statement includes Jennings’ desire to see the café open once again.

“Quick summary of what happened is, I am working on my retirement and the person I had handed the business over to has chose to no longer to pursue it, so I have found a very familiar friendly face to help me run it and I’m sure you guys will be glad to see them. They are working with me to get the doors open as quickly as possible.”

Bradley’s Corner Café social media statement excerpt

KSNT 27 News reached out to Bradley’s Corner Café to learn more about when locals can expect to see it open once again. Jac Duchesneau, the man who will be taking over for Jennings as owner of the café, said Topekans could see the restaurant open again sometime in the first week of October. Duchesneau said he is waiting for a walkthrough inspection to be conducted by state health officials who will give the green light for the café to open.

Duchesneau said he has worked for Jennings off and on since 1997 and got his start washing dishes in one of Jennings’ other local restaurants when he was 15. He said he’s been using the recent downtime at the café to make necessary repairs and updates.

“We’ve just been replacing some ceiling tiles and light fixtures,” Duchesneau said. “We’re replacing our soda bottle machine. Touch up paint. We still have all the same furniture. Once we get it open, we’ll update our booths to make them a little more comfortable for our customers.”

Many long-time fans of the café might be pleased to know that Duchesneau said there aren’t any plans currently to make big changes to the menu or the way the place looks. He also said the name will stay in place when they eventually reopen.

“A lot of people have become accustomed to the menu,” Duchesneau said. “We kind of adapt to what the customers want over the years.”

Duchesneau said he is trying to get all of the old staff members back as well so customers can enjoy seeing familiar faces. To keep up with breaking news in northeast Kansas, download our mobile app.