Johnny Casserole is Back—With an Actual Cafe

Do you remember the original Johnny Casserole service that got all that publicity a couple years ago, beginning with this story in the Reader? Well, an actual Johnny Casserole cafe is slated to open early next month in North Center, serving 15 types of casserole and more.

David Bryson (aka Johnny Casserole) had his license expire in September and originally hoped to open a food truck. But plans changed when he came across the shuttered Espresso Thy Art space. "I was very part time at that point," he says. "And then I got lucky."

The BYO cafe will serve a rotating menu of casseroles, salads, breakfast, sandwiches, soups, coffee and espresso from a counter. The 900 square foot space, which Bryson describes as "masculine but not over-the-top masculine," holds 44 seats inside and on a back patio. The building is a classic greystone with exposed brick.

It will still deliver and cater (which has already started) but unlike the original service, you won't have to cook the casseroles yourself. You'll still have to wait 45 minutes, however.
· Johnny Casserole [Official Site]