123 E. Main Street, Norman, OK 73069
http://www.syrupbreakfast.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/SyrupBreakfastBoutique/
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| Photo by Tammy G. |
Prior to living in Norman, the couple and their family lived in Portland, Oregon. There, they found a city “full of amazing eateries.” Breakfast is the family’s favorite meal and, “upon moving to Norman, we soon learned that there was a gap in the small and local business market for delicious breakfasts,” said Ashley.
The couple had “zero experience” in the restaurant business, but they had a dream. “When the opportunity did arise for us,” Ashley said, “we just went for it and dove in completely blind.” They opened their doors in September 2012.
For a while, they batted around names for their restaurant. "Morning Glory" was the front-runner for a while. However, it was the couple’s sons, with their love for breakfast-for-dinner, who shouted out “Syrup” during an evening meal.
Today, the “Morning Glory” is instead one of the restaurant’s most loved dishes. It’s a large and fluffy waffle stacked with eggs (any way you like them) and then topped with bacon and sausage and covered with Tillamook cheddar cheese.
Other customer favorites include the crunchy French toast, cinnamon roll pancakes and the "Home Sweet Homa" (four fluffy sweet potato pancakes smothered with marshmallow glaze and sprinkled with pecans).
Open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, it’s possible to see a celebrity now and again. “We love it when Coach Barry Switzer pops in,” Ashley says. “[Musician] Ben Rector has come in a few times and it just so happened we were playing his music when he came in!” However, Ashley is quick to recognize her regulars, “Our most famous customers, though, are our most faithful.”
She says the Main Street in Norman is “the heartbeat of the city.” It’s where everyone from hipsters to soccer moms collide and locals interact with college students. When the Kennedys found this space at 123 Main Street, Ashley felt it was divine intervention, especially since they knew so little about opening their own business. “I was praying through this very enormous decision to open a restaurant. I felt like God spoke to me and said, ‘I’m with you. It will be as easy as 1-2-3.’”
Because they have found the people of Norman to be incredibly supportive and kind as they have followed their dream, the Kennedys make a point of giving back. The profits from the restaurant go towards non-profits around the world, including orphanages, churches and even an organization in Uganda to build a well. “We jokingly say we serve pancakes for the nations,” Ashley notes, “We are small but mighty in our efforts to help wherever we can!” Their motto: Serve People, Bless the City, Impact the World.
