Ooms take over at Trails Cafe

Steve and Lisa Oom of rural Denison are the new owners of Trails Café & Café Catering, which has been serving northeast Kansans for nearly 60 years.

The couple, who currently work as traveling nurses, purchased the longstanding business, which is located along U.S. Highway 75 at 601 Arizona Ave., from John and Cindy Stavropoulos on Aug. 1.

“When people plan their trips through northeast Kansas, they make a point to stop at Trails in Holton,” Lisa said. “The local people want to see it continue because we’re open on Sundays and Mondays when many other restaurants are closed.”

Steve is an “Air Force brat” who moved around a lot as a child but ended up in Sabetha where he met Lisa in middle school. The couple have lived in Jackson County since 2012. 

“We chose to retire here because it’s midway between where our children live,” Lisa said, noting that one son lives in Atchison and other lives in Morrill. “When we saw that there was opportunity to purchase Trails and nobody seemed to be biting on it, we knew we couldn’t let the restaurant close. It was the perfect opportunity for us to get out of travel nursing.”

Since 2011, the couple have both served as traveling nurses around the country.

“We love it. It’s been a fabulous way to see the country,” Lisa said. “But we’re missing family.”

Steve agreed. 

“We’re ready to settle down and be home,” he said. “We try to work at the same hospital, but, currently, she’s in Omaha, and I’m in Garden City. We come home on the weekends, and it just never stops.”

They said that, as of right now, they aren’t planning any major changes to the restaurant. 

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