“I want people to feel like they’re coming into my home… like they’re getting a sandwich from their mom”
Sitting down with Kerry I was impressed at how calm and collected she seemed in light of overseeing the operations of two successful restaurants on Magnolia Blvd. in Burbank. I imagine her composure comes from over 25 years working in the restaurant industry and being trained at Le Cordon Bleu. Or it might come from having a father who was an entrepreneur and never wanted to work for other people, as well as a son and daughter who contribute their talents to both places. Most likely it is all of it combined.
Originally inspired by the Kitchen Cupboard Coffee Shops she was dedicated to opening her own and in 1993 established Romancing the Bean. Initially a hole in the wall across from Warner Bros. almost immediately production personnel started buying morning jolts of caffeine for celebrities including the cast of “Friends.”
“I remember delivering over 50 Blended Mocha’s to the cast and crew every Friday for their taping. To this day I am not sure how I pulled that off.”
As the coffee shop’s reputation grew, so did their need for more space.
In 1997 Magnolia Blvd. was a ghost town and while the rent was inexpensive business wasn’t the same as when they were across from Warner Bros. and then 911 happened. They decided to move to Downtown Burbank in the location currently occupied by Story Tavern. A lot of money was spent to renovate the space and then the 2009 recession hit. It was a rough few year after that but Kerry is not one to give up easily. With the support of her family, friends and loyal customers she was able to open once again in 2014 at her current location on Magnolia Blvd.
The Romancing the Bean family has now grown beyond just Kerry and her kids, to include three chefs, a number of baristas and servers…and all the wonderful and supportive customers that have followed the Krull family journey along the way.
For Kerry Art is taste, smell along with the visual. Quality means everything to her which includes sourcing her product locally, featuring local female roasters and Groundworks just around the corner so that it is as fresh as humanly possible.
“I originally wanted a restaurant and thought a coffee shop would be a foot in the door, then 20 years later when the location I originally wanted for Romancing the Bean became available I decided it was my chance.”
After the original investors fell through Kerry and her kids decided to go for it on their own.
“A close family friend suggested the name ‘The New Deal,’ since the neighborhood was built in the 1930s and was known for antiques and secondhand clothing stores, plus, of course, there was Roosevelt Elementary School down the street,” Krull says. “We loved the name, so I started creating a retro but elevated American cuisine menu, pulling from old family recipes and researching what was popular in that era. Our goal and mission are to be a cozy and nostalgic family neighborhood restaurant.”
Kerry’s daughter, Kendra was the mastermind behind the expertly crafted interior design and décor of both restaurants, including the menu layout and overall aesthetic, completely designed the café into a romantic setting featuring an old yet modern elegance. Kerry’s son, Ramsey, initiated the restaurants’ social media accounts, supervised the craft beer program, handled the back-end computer work and often helps manage the business while pursuing his acting/producing ambitions…. and was the first barista! The partnership gives Krull, the executive chef, more opportunity to perfect the menu, bake desserts and focus on the business side.
The New Deal, opened in 2016, serving Americana, from the classic Mama’s Meatloaf, a meal made popular in the ’30s, juicy burgers, hearty salads, soups, sandwiches, and desserts. They hand cut cut French fries and potato chips daily. The vintage relics that decorate the space — not to mention the name of the business itself add to an environment where eating food is an experience.
The help of her children became even more important during The New Deal’s first year in business, an experience Krull described as “having our own reality show because it was a complete cluster of a restaurant startup and everything that could go wrong, did.” “The three of us have completely different talents that we bring to the table, and though we have had our share of head-butting and different ideas about certain things, we’ve made it work,” Krull says.
After all the years of success, struggle, disappointment Kerry’s passion and dedication has paid off, she was the recipient of the “Outstanding Small Business Woman” award given by Senator Anthony J. Portantino at the 2018 Women in Business Luncheon at The Castaways in Burbank. Romancing the Bean has been the recipient of the “Daily News Readers” Favorite Choice ‘Coffee Shop’ 2013 and has won the “Burbank Leader’s ‘Best of Burbank’” award every year since 1997. Just as the community has supported Romancing the Bean and The New Deal throughout the years, Krull has often returned the favor by giving back whenever she can.
“We really do strive to give a lot back, and we pretty much never say no to anybody,” she says. “We support local schools, churches, synagogues, the police and fire department and many others. We also try to support the community by buying local and fresh produce and meat and fish from as many local vendors as we can.”
When it comes to shopping and dining, Krull also frequently puts the neighborhood first.
“Where I get 75% of my holiday shopping done is at Bell Cottage, Stay Home Friend (formerly Mindfulnest), Phoebe Peacock, Crystal Shrine and a cute new French store that just opened called Petit Parisien,” she says. “Although Burbank has grown and evolved over the years, it still has a very small-town feel. I can go to dinner and sit out on the patio and see five people I know walk by. Where else does that happen in Los Angeles?”
Originally published in The Burbank Bla Bla – Living Arts Magazine – www.theburbankblabla.com
