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As she neared retirement
from her day job with Chrysler in the early 2000’s, Butler
opened her first restaurant on Parkside. Then in 2004, on to
Dorr Street. She expanded the restaurant in 2006 – doubling
its capacity.
It’s really been a labor
of love for Miss Ruby, as her customers call her. “I love
being here, I love this restaurant,” she says. “I love
pleasing customers and meeting new people.”
As much as she loves what
she does, she readily admits these past dozen years have not
always been smooth sailing. The restaurant, Butler says, has
seen more bad months than good ones. Nevertheless, she is
still standing and the restaurant is still serving
customers, almost a miracle in a business in which the
average life of a restaurant is less than five years.
Butler is obviously
committed to providing the very best dining experience for
her customers. “I like Southern food,” she says of her
product. After all her mother was from Alabama and Southern
food was what Butler learned about from an early age.
Butler, however, is
committed not only to her customers but also, in equal
measure, to her community. Over the years, from the moment
she opened her first establishment, Butler has made it a
point to hire those who would ordinarily have difficulty
finding employment – ex-offenders, for example.
Such a commitment draws
high praise from Jay Black, president of the Toledo African
American Chamber of Commerce who also notes that the
community has its own obligation with respect to businesses
such as Ruby’s Kitchen.
“It’s important that she
receives the support of the community so she can continue to
hire in greater numbers those whom mainstream America won’t
hire,” says Black.
Butler also opens her
doors to the community, especially those in need of
sustenance, on New Year’s Day and, with the help of her
suppliers, donates meals to those who stop in.
Helping Butler over the
years has been her chief cook, daughter Sonea Hicks. Mother
and daughter have worked together from the very beginning
pleasing diners with such delicacies as smothered pork
chops, rib-eye steaks, chicken wings and Butler’s personal
favorites – the catfish filets and the whole catfish
dinners. Of course, no dinner would be complete if one
didn’t sample the peach cobbler.
“People love the peach
cobbler,” Butler notes with pride.
Actually people love just
about everything at Ruby’s, she says, as verified by the
number of loyal customers. “We cook to order. Everything is
fresh here. We don’t have pre-breaded items.”
Cooking to order may take
a little longer, says Butler of her commitment to quality,
but it’s worth it, she adds.
“When you come here, you
are going to be satisfied when you leave,” declares Miss
Ruby. |
