The Local Yolkal Cafe celebrating 10 years

Published 8:30 am Monday, May 1, 2023

The Local Yolkal Café started in an unorthodox way. Cliff Charnes and his family were living in Savannah and would often take vacations to Lake Sinclair. They could not shake their desire to have a brunch spot to enjoy while they were in town. In Savannah, they had gotten used to waking up and having breakfast before going on walks through the city.

Charnes and his family wondered why Milledgeville didn’t have a proper spot for folks to sit down and have a breakfast and lunch combination. They went from wondering to discussing the possibility of fulfilling the need themselves.

Charnes and his family eventually made the decision to move to Lake Sinclair permanently to fully settle down.

Charnes had worked in the automotive industry, including time at a car dealership in Savannah. This was in addition to the time that he spent working in the hotel business. There was a brief moment where he considered the possibility of reentering the automotive field in his new home, but then his thought process shifted. He recalled the desire to open a brunch restaurant that he and his family had and chose to give that a shot.

The process of getting the restaurant off the ground took longer than originally planned. Construction began in December 2012, and Charnes and his family had hoped they would be able to open by the end of February. They eventually opened the doors on April 19, 2013.

Taking its name from the term “Local Yokel” and cleverly rewording it to be “Local Yolkal” in a way that fits a place that serves brunch, the restaurant is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

The eatery is located at 117 W. Hancock St. in Milledgeville.

Charnes and his family opened up and went to work serving members of their community and beyond 10 years ago. On the first day, they ran out of food by the time the restaurant closed. That level of support has continued in the years since.

The Local Yolkal Café has undergone some changes since it originally opened, most notably with the menu, which was redesigned in 2015. The menu has a variety of items including eggs Benedict, breakfast sandwiches, omelettes, pancakes and waffles, and breakfast classics. The lunch portion of the menu features burgers, salads, chicken fingers, shrimp and grits, and more. If that is not enough, The Local Yolkal Café also has plenty of different adult beverages and non-alcoholic beverages as well.

Open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., customers can find out more about The Local Yolkal Café by visiting https://thelocalyolkal.com/.