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The Breakfast Club

Years in business: The restaurant opened in 1976.

Owner: Jodee Sadowsky has owned and operated the Breakfast Club since 1982.

Atmosphere: The Breakfast Club is a no-frills kind of place. It definitely represents the laid-back spirit of the island. The beach is about a block away from the Breakfast Club.

With its audible sizzle and savory smells, the grill dominates the main room. Stools along the counter offer an up-close view of the grill action.

The booths by the windows have high wooden backs. In the other room, the tables are close together.

The area near the cash register serves a bulletin board for the community, with announcements of local meetings and hand written flyers.

Crowd: The restaurant is popular with locals and tourists. There's often a line outside the establishment, especially on the weekends.

The people who come to the restaurant, however, aren't always in the best mood. It is morning, after all.

"Many times they come in with a frown, yet when they have sampled our wares, they change their tune a little bit," Sadowsky said. "Then the smiles come."

Staff: "One of the things I take the most pride in is the folks who work here," he said.

Sadowsky helps the employees at the Breakfast Club build their skills.

"I've had folks in here who had never cooked a day in their lives," he said. "Then two years later, they get offers to run the kitchen at another place."

Service: Sadowsky strives for consistency. "Every single day we serve the exact same product," he said. "The same coffee you got yesterday, the same server.

"We are constantly attempting to improve. That's the key."

Chef: "My main concern is the quality of the food," Sadowsky said.

After a stint in the Army, he attended the Culinary Institute in New York. He worked as a chef in several restaurants before his mother asked him if he would like to take over the Breakfast Club. "How could I pass up an opportunity to own my own business?" Sadowsky asks.

Food: "We serve items you won't find anywhere else. The sky's the limit," Sadowsky said. The speciality at the Breakfast Club is, of course, breakfast. Sausage, bacon, eggs, grits, toast and other morning meal basics are available, but the true lure of the restaurant are Sadowsky's own creations.

On the front page of the menu, 11 specials are listed. "I try to keep a seasonal theme," Sadowsky said.

Omelets are really popular at the Breakfast Club. Customers can create their own combinations by choosing from a list of ingredients. They may also select from a number of house specials.

The lowcountry omelet includes diced potatoes, shrimp or crab, corn, onions and Polish sausage. The Monterey omelet is made with broccoli, mushrooms, shrimp and cheese.

The Breakfast Club makes the own Italian sausage served there. "It's a rarity for for a restaurant to make its own sausage," Sadowsky said.

The hamburger buns at the restaurant are baked fresh from scratch. According to Sadowsky, the hamburger at the Breakfast Club is "incomparable."

Hours: The restaurant is open from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.

The Breakfast Club sometimes closes early. "If I can't give the customers what they want, I have no qualms about shutting it down," Sadowsky said.

Things you may not know: The Breakfast Club is a family business. Sadowsky's mother originally opened the restaurant. "Folks ask about my mother every day," Sadowsky said. She moved to a retirement community in Florida after leaving the restaurant business.

Sadowsky's wife Cheryl is his business partner. Her duties include maintaining the books and payroll, as well as making the employee schedule. "It's a thankless position," he said. "If it weren't for the job she does, I couldn't survive."

Sadowsky's brother-in-law is the head waiter at the restaurant. His brother-in-law's wife is also a server.

The last word: "I want someone who has dined here to come back,"Sadowsky said. "I prefer return customers."

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