Bene's will open in former Top of the Line location

They did prove both naysayers and history wrong.

And now LaShay and Lonnie Germain are moving on from Cheney where they operated the Top of the Line Café until July 30. Next March would have been the four-year anniversary of the business.

They will open the Monroe Street Grill - a former Shari's Restaurant - at the intersection where Monroe, Indiana and Northwest Boulevard meet.

The Germains made a location that briefly housed four previous eateries a success, enough so that when the new opportunity came along they could not pass it up.

"Cheney was always meant to be a stepping stone because we started out as a drive-through," LaShay Germain said. "We always wanted something bigger."

In its place will be a new breakfast-centered business called Bene's, the name, "Is a nod to the eggs benedict which we will be featuring 10 different variations," Derek Baziotis said, who along with wife, Alexx plan to open Sept. 1.

The Germains, who lived in Blanchard, Idaho, drove by their new location many times. The original Shari's had been closed for several years but had plenty of traffic passing by.

"Two years ago we had inquired about it," LaShay Germain said." It just kind of happened and fell into place."

The process to get it opened, however, has been more of a chore than they anticipated. While the property looked fine on the outside, it had never been winterized and there was damage from leaky pipes that needed fixing.

The process then shifted to playing the waiting game with contractors who have found themselves busy with other construction projects. "It drug out for a while," LaShay Germain said.

Thinking they would have been open first in July, then August, now September, Germain figures it will now be mid-September. Another part of the delay comes with remodeling that will add a lounge, an important function of the bottom line of most eateries.

"There's a big difference on the ticket between someone ordering water and wine," she said.

For those who will miss the smoke house specialties of Lonnie Germain, they will be found at the new place and include smoked turkey and prime rib Fridays.

Bene's come to Cheney with a long family tradition of serving breakfast in Spokane at the Kalico Kitchen, and before that, Waffles and More.

The location had been in their sights since it was the Perry Street Café, Derek Baziotis said.

The Baziotis' plan to replicate the recent success found at the location seems simple. They want to serve essential food, cheap and with good service. "You do that and you win," Baziotis said.

Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].