A Business Owner: Danielle Kale

"Start your day with a fresh start" -- Danielle Kale 

 Fresh start, a quaint, family-owned establishment that can be found along Route 30 in York, PA. Walking in, customers inhale a welcoming aroma of coffee and fresh cooked foods. A slightly modern but rustic atmosphere can be seen; dark grey walls leading into the kitchen, natural wooden floors, shiplap walls following the back of the building, and glistening white marble countertops. More natural wood can be found in accents throughout the building, one right in the front spelling out "Fresh Start" directly above the metal opening leading into the kitchen where the chefs set the food to be taken to the eager customers. The friendly faces of the waitresses retrieving the food from the opening, hustling around to the tables filled with customers who regularly bring their business here. Turning again and looking behind the bar, a short, blonde lady that is constantly conversing with anyone that walks in the door comes into eye view. This is Danielle, the owner. 

Entrance of Fresh Start 

Danielle can be described as simple but a go getter. When speaking with her about what she wanted to do when she got out of college, becoming a restaurant owner was never something she envisioned herself doing. 

"If you asked me when I was a kid what I'd think I'd be doing right now it would for sure not be this. But I can't complain," Danielle notes. 

She always wanted to be a social worker, learning, and speaking with people is something that she was always good at as well as enjoyed. Although that field of work did not work out for her, she did partially achieve that goal as being a business owner comes with a lot of talking. All her talking creates what people love about this place, as well as the food of course. Countless amounts of people feel that they have a personal relationship with Danielle, and they don't even know her outside of a business setting. 

"She never asks just asks, "how was the food," when you come up to pay, she always asks about how you are as a person, or how my wife is doing, or my son, or even my grandkids. She cares and that is what has kept me coming here for so long," a customer that comes every single day, who received the name J-Bird from Danielle herself, gives us his insight about her. 

When it comes to Danielle's day to day life, she wakes up at 5 a.m. every day. She and her mother drive and arrive to Fresh Start by 5:30 to begin the cutting, chopping, and prep for the day. At 6 a.m., the waitresses arrive, Kelly and Michelle. Danielle has owned this business for 17 years, and Kelly has been there for the ride for 17 years. Michelle has been working for about half that time, but just like Kelly, plans to stay for as long as she works under Danielle. The doors open at 7 a.m. where J-Bird and his three friends come in, always the first ones, and it has been like this for years. Danielle greets them and seats them at their table. 

"Table number 4. It's been 5 years and it has always been table number 4. If for some crazy reason J-Bird and the boys are late and someone else made it to table 4 before they did, they will sit and wait. If I ever decide to sell this place, I might as well offer to sell them the table so they can have it forever," Danielle chuckles as she says this. 

Danielle making a hot latte

 She seats them and walks away going straight to the barista station. If you can't find her, she most likely going to be there making drinks. They come frozen, hot, or cold. More specifically, concoctions like straight espresso, lattes, cappuccinos, etc. You name it, she can make it. Kelly or Michelle come and retrieve the drink and as the customer takes the first sip you can hear the hum of their enjoyment of their drink. 

As the day goes on, Danielle continues to chat with her regular customers while also making relationships with newcomers. She always attends to her customers needs and willing to make any accommodation that get requested. 

Being this way is not something that anyone can do. It takes a special kind of person and special kind of atmosphere in a business to be successful but also become somewhat of a safe space for people. This goes back to the way Danielle was described, simple but a go getter. She made this business by herself but doesn't do anything that's crazy or out of this world. She does what she knows people like and has made a name for herself this way. 

Danielle, front row 4th from the left, and all of
her employees.