Catonsville caf has new owner

  • 2016-05-10
Paradise Cafe in Catonsville is now under new management in a transition that was made without shutting the restaurant down.

Mary Branning sold the cafe to Dawaih “Mike” Hafeed, who then brought in Leah Perez to manage the restaurant. Perez made a number of changes, all of which have proved to be successful.

First, she asked all of the staff to remain, and they all agreed. Everyone who works at the cafe lives less than a quarter-mile away. Perez says she always thought the Paradise had the ambiance of a diner, a “great family place where you can bring your kids”, but needed to work further to establish the atmosphere she was looking for.

The cafe was repainted, and the booths were brightened and the ceiling was repaired. Now, the walls sport vintage décor such as Texaco and Coca-Cola Signs. Perez says she thinks people enjoy the nostalgic feeling of the cafe, embodied in such diner standards as chrome stools.

Perez has changed the menu slightly, keeping customers' favorite dishes but making them with fresh ingredients. One of the biggest changes has been to have the restaurant open late. It used to close on 2:30 pm on weekdays and 1:30 pm on Saturdays, but it is now open until 11:00 pm.

Perez could work with a poster printing company to create window Signs to announce new dishes when they are added to the menu.
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