Service with a smile

With reporting by Chris La Pelusa

PINGREE GROVE – “We give our customers value and service with a smile,” says Mike Akiti, who co-owns the newly opened Butler’s restaurant with his identical twin brother, Lui.

“This is our first place,” says Lui, though one might be surprised because Butler’s imparts the feeling of a well put-together, long-established restaurant. “Our background is in retail, at Nordstrom’s, in management, sales. I spent eleven years at Nordstrom’s. The last position was management in the Men’s department.”

Mike, as well, spent the last 7 years at Nordstrom’s, and prior to that he worked in a number of eating establishments, spending a total of 13 years in a kitchen, which makes him well-qualified to be Butler’s head chef.

“Most of our food, the sauces for the pastas, are homemade,” says Mike. “Our sauce for the pork chops is homemade. Our soups are made daily. Our French fries are homemade-cut fries that we make in house…. It makes a whole lot of difference when you make them in house.”

The twin brothers, who share much of their life together, even marrying sisters and sharing the same checking account, got the idea to open Butler’s on the drive home from work.

“We both like to listen to inspirational tapes,” says Lui. “We would drive up and down 72… This corner is very attractive for a restaurant, simply because you have a lot of small towns here that need a choice. And that’s what Del Webb needs, a choice. And we think we’ve given Del Webb a choice to bounce from a place to a place and have a different variety of food.”

Mike adds that their love of eating out helped form their vision of Butler’s and its menu. “We always … talked about [what we would do] when we opened our own restaurant. It’s cozy, comfortable to families and couples.”

Butler’s welcomes all ages and can accommodate large parties and groups. They’ve already hosted parties ranging from 12-69 people.

They have “the best prices in town,” with the average lunch price of $7.99 and average dinners between $12-18.

Their 6oz filet mignon is $17.99 and the 8oz is $19.99.

“If you came in for the first time for dinner, I’d probably tell you to try some of our pasta dishes,” says Lui. “If you like fish, I’d tell you to try the Fish and Chips immediately…. If you came in for lunch, there’s no doubt about it, we’ve got the best burgers. Or start your day with a Rueben.”

Butler’s patio is slated to open around May 15, and their grand opening will take place sometime in the end of May “because we’d like to see some sun first” says Lui. They will have outdoor entertainment and lots of fun.

“We want our customers to get an experience of service, good food, and something to remember,” says Lui. “Our logo, service with a smile, we’re all about service with a smile. We want people to remember Butler’s with service and good food.

“I think Butler’s, if you sum it up, it would be casual dining at its best,” says Lui. “Classic American restaurant: your burgers, your chicken, your steak and ribs, your fish, your classic American food.”

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