Photo by: Elise Hendrickson

Exterior look of Apple Valley Pancake House.

Bacon and eggs hiss  on the skillet, and the constant buzz of busybodies burning  with conversation fills the space. Outside, a line forms against the wall even when morning temperatures dip. Once a popular Sunday brunch spot in downtown Neenah — Bradke’s Family Restaurant — now starts anew as a humble home to a brand-new restaurant and family.

Neenah high junior Arjana Useni works the cash register and serves the same way since the age of 11. The dedication she continues to bring to the table  is unmatched, and she does so with a smile. Her entire family, parents and sister included, bring that dedication that she says creates the beauty of the restaurant.

“Family is everything to us; it’s the one thing we know well.”

A lot of her life she hasn’t known well, she admits. Originally from Albania, she says that her transition to a new life, a new language, and a new environment instilled fear within her. Fears similar to the family’s during the creation of their restaurant, Apple Valley Pancake House.

Adjustments like that takes time and this remains evident in the restaurant too.

For any visitor who wants to know more, details throughout the building serve as history books. The most important detail though: the large black sign that reads “EAT,” which stands above the restaurant roof like a halo and beckons hungry guests in.

Just as Arjana refuses to forget her past, the restaurant holds onto the past too.

As time progresses, Arjana clarifies she doesn’t know if she’ll take over the family business. As she graduates a year early, her future is widely unknown.

This time, she takes up a mindset built by her past that she encourages others to follow–the fear of the unknown shouldn’t control you, because that’s when great things happen.