THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 6, 1996 TAG: 9610040226
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LINDA MCNATT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: 87 lines
WHEN RUSSELL BORJES went searching for a building to rent, he knew he wanted to be his own boss. He thought he wanted to start a furniture refinishing business.
Instead, he found a restaurant, and he began to think about the sweet potato biscuits, chicken and dumplings and onion gravy he had learned to make at his mother's knee - the kind of stuff he still loves to cook.
``As soon as I saw this building, I knew refinishing wasn't what I wanted to do,'' Borjes said recently. ``Owning my own restaurant has always been a dream. I like to cook, and I like people. I thought, `This is it.' ''
On a drive through Suffolk, Borjes had discovered ``The Peanut Restaurant'' on Holland Road.
``It is a perfect location,'' he said. ``Everyone traveling to (Interstate) 85 or 95 has to pass by. And the local folks are wonderful. They are welcoming us with open arms.''
The restaurant, which had been closed for several months, had been remodeled and was for rent when Borjes appeared.
At the time, he and his wife, Debbie, were owners and operators of Elizabeth River Antiques on South Military Highway in Chesapeake. The business was successful, he said, and they enjoyed it. But while he enjoyed refinishing the furniture himself, it wasn't something he wanted to do full time.
If she wanted them to stick to antiques, he told her, that would be all right, ``but we probably won't get to see much of each other.''
The couple, who live in Virginia Beach, closed that business, sold some of the larger pieces and, with friends with pickup trucks pitching in, moved the rest to Suffolk.
When The Peanut Restaurant and Antique Gallery opened under Borjes' management two weeks ago, the antiques provided customers an opportunity to browse through the past and shop as well as eat.
``. . . Almost everybody is going to see something here that they remember from their childhood,'' he said. ``That's what makes it nice.''
The couple's best memory of the Peanut Restaurant when it was opened before was when it was managed by Elaine Butler, who had to give up the business because of her husband's health problems.
``She has been an angel sent to us,'' Borjes said. ``She's given me all kinds of advice, and I've taken every piece of information to heart. I'm doing things like she says they should be done. Her best advice has been: Be friendly and fix a good plate of food at a fair price.''
Butler also is baking peanut pies for the restaurant, a longtime favorite that former patrons have said they are glad to see back.
Borjes takes care of the sweet potato biscuits. He also makes fresh salads daily - chicken, potato and deviled ham. He's in charge of keeping the menu affordable for business people looking for a good lunch or families out for an evening meal.
The antiques add warmth and charm to the large interior. The proprietors specialize in glassware, oak and mahogany furniture. A 1920s schoolhouse cabinetis used to display peanut products for sale.
The gallery of old things that surround the tables and chairs of the restaurant include a lot of McCoy Pottery, something that once was sold door to door and is popular on the antique market, Borjes said.
The old dishes flow over to the dining tables. No two place settings, cups or saucers are alike. Cloth napkins used at dinner don't match.
Russell Borjes, Portsmouth native, grew up in West Park View. His wife is a Virginia Beach native.
Before opening the restaurant, they spent more than two months trying other family restaurants and collecting menus. They also got help and information from friends, including Robert Kinsey, who managed the Dining Room in Suffolk when it was the Traveler's Rest.
For years, they've owned property in Suffolk. And once their 17-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, graduates from high school - if the restaurant is successful - they may move to Suffolk.
``For now, I enjoy the drive,'' he said. ``It gives me time to think.''
Located on Holland Road, near the U.S. Route 58 overpass, the restaurant is open every day but Monday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Borjes is considering opening for a hunters' breakfast from 5 a.m. until 8:30 on Saturdays, providing feedback indicates it's wanted.
``Right now,'' he said with a laugh, ``all I know about the people of Holland is that there are really nice folks out here, and they do like to eat.''
For information, or to check out daily specials, call 657-2006. MEMO: Linda McNatt writes a regular feature about local businesses for
The Sun. If you have ideas, fax them to her at 934-7515, or call her at
934-7561. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
Debbie and Russell Borges are surrounded by antiques in the Peanut
Restaurant on Holland Road. by CNB