By Lisa Abraham
Beacon Journal food writer
Published on Wednesday, Sep 09, 2009
The Olive Tree restaurant is blooming again.
The longtime downtown Akron eatery has found a new owner and new life in chef Chris Lemley of Canal Fulton. It reopened last week.
Lemley, 30, is a graduate of the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute in Pittsburgh. This is his first restaurant venture, but his family has a prominent food history and name.
His mother, Tina Menches Birch, is one of the siblings who own the Menches Brothers restaurants. Lemley said his mother works in the office building at 159 S. Main St. where the Olive Tree is located.
When former owners Cleo and John Kefalos decided to close at the end of June after 28 years, Birch told her son the restaurant could be just what he was looking for.
Mother knew best.
''I just saw a lot of potential here,'' Lemley said.
Lemley has spent the past two months making improvements and changes, including a new menu and a new kitchen. He's open for breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The new menu has an Italian focus, with flatbread pizzas and ciabatta bread sandwiches. There are salads and soups, including homemade wedding soup. He also offers off-site catering.
The South Main Street location has been a downtown coffee shop since the early 1960s.
Lemley didn't change the name or the phone number — 330-375-1919.
Lisa A. Abraham can be reached at 330-996-3737 or labraham@thebeaconjournal.com.
