20917 N. John Wayne Pkwy
Maricopa, AZ 85139
In the Fry's Shopping Center
Open Daily
Sunday through Tuesday
6:30 am to 3:00 pm
Wednesday through Saturday
6:30 am to 9:00 pm
Dine-In or Carry Out
520-568-8098
20917 N. John Wayne Pkwy
Maricopa, AZ 85139
In the Fry's Shopping Center
Open Daily
Dine-In or Carry Out
520-568-8098
Sunrise Café brings home to Maricopa from across the globe
Adam Gaub, Maricopa Tribune - Reprinted from the September 20, 2007 Issue
Luisa Foster has called three different continents home during her lifetime, immigrating from her birthplace in Taiwan to Argentina before moving to the United States.
Since moving to Maricopa in October 2005 and opening a restaurant in March with her brother Daniel Chang, Luisa hopes that residents of her new hometown can call her restaurant home.
Everything about what she has created at the Sunrise Cafe, 20917 N. John Wayne Parkway, from the food to the decor to the wait staff is home for Luisa, who has worked in restaurants for 30 years of her life. It is no surprise, then, that the idea for opening a restaurant started with family.
“My parents owned two Polynesian restaurants in Columbus (Ohio) and Indianapolis,” Luisa said of her start in the restaurant business, which began when her father, a former stock broker, moved his family across the globe to the American Midwest. Luisa’s brother Daniel remained there, living in Chicago until two years ago when the pair put into action long-dreamed of plans to open a restaurant together. “We had been talking about opening a restaurant for a long time.”
Luisa and Daniel decided on Maricopa for their new restaurant, being driven like so many by the opportunity to own an inexpensive home. Luisa moved from her life in California while Daniel came from his home in Chicago to begin their search for opportunity.
“It’s like destiny to come together,” she said.
A staff like family
“I’m very fortunate to have good help,” she said. “I have to make sure the staff is good at every aspect of the service and I am very pleased.”
One of the key pieces to her staff was put in place right before the restaurant opened, as she hired a chef from Washington D.C., Jim Ferrell, to become the head chef of her restaurant.
“Luisa called me up in February and said she was opening up a place, so I said, 'Let’s give it a shot,’” Ferrell said.
Farrell’s talents as a dinner chef – and the lack of sit-down restaurants in Maricopa – has Luisa thinking of extending the cafe’s hours to add a new dinner menu.
“I hear people tire of bar food. My menu is dedicated to everybody,” she said. “The majority of people head to Chandler when thinking about where they want to go to dinner. We want them to stay here.
“Good food, good atmosphere and a good price is how you make a restaurant succeed.”
Tasty recipes, tasteful ambiance
Luisa started with the atmosphere, picking out the decor for Sunrise herself – creating an ambiance one might find similar to Valley-based breakfast chain The Good Egg.
“I always loved to shop. If I hadn’t gone into the restaurant business, I think I would have been an interior decorator,” Luisa said. “(The cafe) is very warm and homey. It gives people something to look at... that’s not cheesy-looking.”
While she may not want her small cafe to look cheesy, that dairy product is an important staple of one of her signature breakfast entrees: a build-your-own omelette. Luisa said she is all about giving patrons as much choice as possible, going beyond the basic breakfast staples on her menu to also include items like banana french toast for breakfast or a Monte Cristo Supreme sandwich (turkey, ham and cheese on french toast topped with powered sugar and served with strawberry preserves) for lunch. The cafe opens with breakfast service at 5 a.m., with lunch service beginning at 11 a.m. until a 3 p.m. close.
As she goes forward with her business, Luisa is reminded of what she learned from her parents that has made her successful at previous restaurant jobs.
“I’m not afraid of trying new things. I look at what people like and then go from there.”