Sentinel staff report–
American comfort food will soon be served up for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at a new cafe and grill slated to open at the old Denny’s restaurant building on Sunrise Boulevard near Greenback Lane.
David Federico, a Perko’s Cafe & Grill franchisee who owns four cafe’s in the region, told The Sentinel on Wednesday he is targeting an opening date by mid-April for his new cafe. He said extensive remodeling is underway at the new location, which has a 5,400-square-feet floor plan.
“It’ll look night and day different,” said the franchisee, noting that the exterior is getting new windows and wood siding, along with more landscaping, new doors, and a re-done parking lot and sidewalk. Inside, he said crews are tearing down several walls, completely re-doing the bathrooms, lifting low ceilings, and installing new flooring and counters.
Asked to describe Perko’s, Federico said the focus is “American comfort food just done our way,” highlighting scratch-made pies, homemade meatloaf, a traditional roasted turkey dinner, and a current popular special: babyback ribs and shrimp. Hours are typically 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
From July: Denny’s restaurant in Citrus Heights abruptly closes
The prior Denny’s restaurant at 6215 Sunrise Blvd. abruptly closed in July last year, with the only notice being a statement taped to the front window which thanked loyal customers and said “we will no longer be open at this location.” Several phone calls to Denny’s corporate offices at the time were not returned.
Although a once-popular spot for those seeking a 24-hour dining option or a pancake breakfast, the Citrus Heights Denny’s was known to frequently appear in police department incident logs for transient activity and “dine and dash” incidents. Online reviews also complained of continual homeless issues at the location, along with dirty bathrooms, and slow service — earning the Denny’s a total of 39 one-star reviews and just five 5-star reviews on Yelp.
According to Perko’s website, the new Citrus Heights cafe will be the restaurant’s twentieth location in California. Hiring interviews for all positions at the new cafe are scheduled for March 12, beginning at 11 a.m.
