New generation keeps the downtown lunch spot's gravy flowing.
The Dwyer's Café legacy is continuing downtown as owner Michael Dwyer passes the reins to his sons.
Brent Dwyer, 32, and Craig Dwyer, 38, are purchasing the restaurant from their father to become the third generation of Dwyer's owners in the hopes of continuing the family legacy.
"We worked here our whole lives, both of us - we've even branched off to other jobs but we've always been drawn back to this business," says Brent.
Photo by Robin May
Craig and Brent Dwyer
"It's in our blood, you know? It feels good that we can keep the legacy going. We just love doing it. We worked here since middle school, on and off during summers and holiday vacations," he continues, "so we've been around the business our whole lives and we got to learn from the ground up how the place actually works."
Brent says he and his brother began considering purchasing the business after they graduated college, and they seemed to know fairly quickly after that theyce his sons take over.
Michael plans to stay involved, but decided he wanted to semi-retire and not be consumed by day-to-day operations. Not much will change, however, with the transition of power - except maybe for the addition of waffles to the breakfast/lunch hot spot known for its Cajun, Creole and soul food dishes.
"We don't want to change anything to make anybody not like it," says Brent. "It's working right now, so you don't change anything that still works. We hope to keep everything the same way. We've been blessed by our parents and grandparents giving us something like that. Hopefully we can fill those very big shoes they're leaving behind."