Gaylord eatery features 'classics with a little bit of a southern comfort twist'

GAYLORD — Marmalade & Co. has opened in downtown Gaylord serving breakfast and lunch seven days a week.

Taking over the space at 138 W. Main St. in late May that housed the former Diana's, co-owner Jennifer Harmer said the food "is made from scratch and is not out of a box. It's the classics with a little bit of a southern comfort twist."

A good example is the fried green tomato BLT on the menu. There is also a marmalade french toast stuffed with cream cheese.

"We also try to buy local. A lot of our produce comes from the farmer's market and our honey and sausage are from local vendors," added Harmer.

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Harmer owns the restaurant along with her husband Corey and his brother Lance and his wife. Corey, Lance and his wife worked for many years at the Gobbler's in Gaylord, which closed in May. The Waters location remains open.

"When the Gaylord location closed everyone decided it was time to do our own thing," Jennifer said.

This is not Jennifer's first business. For the past three years she has operated Rosemary & Pepper Flower Co. on South Wisconsin Avenue in Gaylord.

"Owning your own place means everything," she said. "It means you have the freedom to hire family and help them out. If you are going to work hard it might as well be for yourself."

Harmer said 90 percent of the staff at Marmalade & Co. are family.

"We were fortunate to have a lot of nieces and nephews," she said, and it has also helped them to solve one of the most pressing needs in the restaurant business today — a shortfall of workers.

Harmer believes that Gaylord had a void in the breakfast sector of the business.

"We knew that this would be something that makes a contribution to the community," she added.

She was also glad that they could help fill an empty storefront on Main Street in the downtown.

"(Downtown) is an advantage most of the year. The only problem might be in the winter when parking can be difficult. We encourage everyone to park in the back (in the municipal lot)," she said.

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Right now, Marmalade & Co. is focused on breakfast or lunch but they are considering adding a dinner service later.

"We have talked about it and maybe toward the end of the summer we might go in that direction," she said.

The restaurant is open from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.