Business Spotlight: Supper club focuses on quality. not quanitity

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The waitress said she was a vegetarian. However, she admitted that she'd picked up a steak knife on more than one occasion since coming to work at Mike's Place. In fact, her favorite entres are the filet mignon and the barbecue ribs. |ret||ret||tab|

When a vegetarian recommends red meat over other entres, such as charbroiled salmon or fresh spinach and trout salad, you know you're in for a treat. |ret||ret||tab|

Three years ago, owners Mike and Nancy Lacey started Mike's Place, against the advice of several of their friends who warned them not to get into the restaurant business. After all, Springfield has more than its fair share of eateries. The Laceys, however, believed they could make their restaurant stand out. |ret||ret||tab|

"Our dream was to have a supper club with the feel of yesteryear," Mike Lacey said. "I've always liked this building. When I saw part of it was for lease, I decided to talk to my wife about starting a restaurant."|ret||ret||tab|

Once the Laceys took the lease, they renovated the inside of the structure. However, they were careful to maintain certain elements, such as the exposed brick wall, beamed ceiling and fireplace. When the work was done , the Laceys opened up "the best little supper club in Springfield." |ret||ret||tab|

Unlike a large, high-volume franchise restaurant, Mike's Place appeals to fine diners. The Laceys also have scaled their restaurant to ensure its success. The menu, for example, spans one page, and the restaurant only seats 66 people. |ret||ret||tab|

Although the menu is abbreviated, it is complete. Before dinner, you can order a drink from the bar or have a glass of wine while enjoying an appetizer or hors d'oeuvre, such as peel-and-eat shrimp. In addition to the regular entres, which include a variety of steaks, shrimp scampi with angel hair pasta, charbroiled pork chops, chicken penne pasta, roasted chicken and London broil steak, you can choose from a number of daily specials. |ret||ret||tab|

Unlike some fine dining establishments, which serve smaller-than-average portions, the entres at Mike's Place won't leave you wanting more. If you do, however, you can top off your meal with dessert, such as cheesecake. |ret||ret||tab|

The patrons who frequent Mike's Place appreciate quality. The Laceys said they buy only the best cuts of meat from their suppliers, and everything is made fresh daily because of a lack of storage space for foodstuffs. |ret||ret||tab|

The chef, Robert Schaffer, also has an outstanding reputation. Schaffer, who was trained at California Culinary Institute, served as the chef of the Tower Club before coming to work at Mike's Place. |ret||ret||tab|

Recently, Schaffer was forced to take some time off because of illness. His assistant Karl Fannin has been running the kitchen. |ret||ret||tab|

"Karl stepped in, and he's done just great. He knows the recipes, and the consistency is still there," Nancy Lacey said. |ret||ret||tab|

Most of the eight part-time employees who work at Mike's Place have been with the restaurant at least two years, and many greet customers by name. |ret||ret||tab|

"Right before we open up, I tell everybody who's here that it's show time," said Mike Lacey. "This restaurant has been built on show business and good food."|ret||ret||tab|

Prior to starting Mike's Place, Mike Lacey worked in the entertainment industry. As a child, he traveled with the Toby Tent Shows, which entertained townspeople in rural areas. |ret||ret||tab|

Later, he worked as a vocalist and musician playing in dinner clubs around the country. Lacey performed at the restaurant during the first three years it was open. These days, however, Jan Shuster provides the entertainment, and jazz harmonica player Mark Harp accompanies him on Saturday nights. |ret||ret||tab|

While playing in clubs around the country, Mike Lacey said he learned what worked and what didn't work in the restaurant business. Still, the Laceys admitted that the first year-and-a-half in business was trying.|ret||ret||tab|

"It's expensive to advertise, and we've mainly relied on word of mouth to get customers," said Nancy Lacey. "People are tired of franchises. We've always believed if we offered something different, something special, that we could make a go of it."|ret||ret||tab|

These days, business is booming. In fact, if you want to eat at Mike's Place on the weekend, you should call for reservations. Serving hours are 5-10 p.m. Monday through Saturday.[[In-content Ad]]