After three years of owning Town and Country Kafe, Willie Torres and Amy Delfin-Torres are selling the business to embrace new adventures and personal experiences, while offering a new owner the chance to make the it their own.
The sale of Town and Country Kafe in Crawford will mark a new chapter for owners Willie Torres and Amy Delfin-Torres. After three years of owning the restaurant, the couple is selling to “pursue new opportunities and personal growth.”
“It's a bittersweet decision because we've enjoyed the journey, but we feel it's time for a new chapter in our life,” Torres said.
Listed by Iris Inc Realty for $650,000, the restaurant has been on the market for two weeks and is known for its Venezuelan cuisine, honoring Delfin-Torres’ heritage. As head chef, she runs the kitchen while Torres serves as host.
“I present our menu to everybody,” Torres said. “I make sure you leave here with a happy smile, with a full stomach. And hopefully, you come back.”
The couple, who met in Florida, eventually settled in Crawford in search of a more peaceful and tranquil environment.
Now, with the business for sale, Amy and Willie hope to explore other ventures and enjoy more personal time together, including traveling to all 50 states. Torres has only three to go: North Dakota, South Dakota and Maine.
“We’ll probably go old school and break out a map,” Torres said. “That’s what we're excited about.”
Torres also plans to take the extra time to fix up and possibly travel around with his one-of-a-kind Jeep, a gift from his wife. It is built so coffee can be sold straight out of the back.
“We did give ourselves five years coming in here to make a decision, and I think it's time to do that,” Torres said. “Like I said, it might sell next year. We're still within our window.”
One of Torres’s favorite parts of owning the restaurant has been connecting with the community.
“We love the people. Crawford has given so much to us,” Torres said. “We’ve been welcomed with open arms.”
Despite stepping away, Torres has no regrets about running Town and Country Kafe. For him, it’s been a positive experience, and he would ‘never say never’ to the potential of opening another business in the future.
“I have no idea what tomorrow brings,” Torres said. “I just know that we have more years, my wife and I, we have more years behind us than we do have left in front of us.”
The couple wants to assure the community that Town and Country Kafe is not closing. They plan to continue operating the restaurant until a buyer is found.
“We want to give someone else the opportunity to bring fresh ideas and energy to this cafe,” Torres said. “Faith has played a big role in guiding us to this decision.”
The space is set up with a commercial kitchen, plumbing, countertops, coffee machines and AC units.
Ronnie Boggs, chairman of the Oglethorpe County Chamber of Commerce, said a difficult part of starting a restaurant in the county is the expense and meeting health department regulations. However, he thinks the turnkey aspect of Town and Country Kafe could be attractive to possible buyers.
“You do not have to go through all of the health regulations as if you open a business from scratch,” Boggs said. “If you close a business and then somebody comes in and opens the business back up under a new name and under a different menu and format, then you're pretty much back at square one as far as meeting health department regulations, which makes it tougher to get up and going.”
Torres hopes a young, motivated and passionate buyer will purchase the building. However, he acknowledges that ultimately, he has no control over who the buyer is or what they choose to do with the space.
“Whoever purchases Town and Country Kafe, we wish them all the best success in the world,” Torres said.
Although the couple wishes they’d started the restaurant earlier in life, they’re confident in their choice.
“We're at peace with the decision we made and we're going forward,” Torres said.