Restaurant has been shakin' it up for decades
By Laurie Gordon
If you're a fan of Cajun Clams, Tuna Tacos, wings and ribs, Shakey Jakes is a go-to spot. With an extensive menu and tried and true longevity since 2000, the cafe offers a lunch, dinner and pub menu, K.C.C. Spirit & Raw Bar and catering.
Owners Nancy and Chuck Deitrich turned to their three sons, Chad, Kiel and Jake, for ideas to name the family-owned restaurant.
“They remembered that when I was born, Kiel called me 'Shake,' because of his baby lisp,” Jake Deitrich said. “It not only seemed fitting, but completely appropriate to call our new family business Shakey Jakes.”
The K.C.C. Spirit & Raw Bar was created in 2016 as kind of a hideout for Chuck Deitrich seeking a place that incorporated an atmosphere of his favorite things: Scotch, oysters and smoked cured meats.
“We expanded our Stanhope location and added another separate bar across the parking lot in 2016,” he said.
The search for a name for this new building led the owners to realize Kiel had been left out. They'd named a previous business for their eldest, Chad (Chad2 Landscaping) from Chuck's earlier days, then Shakey Jakes for their youngest, Jake.
“I originally called it Kiel's Cigar Club, aka, the K.C.C,” he said. “We abandoned the club idea as our customers deserve to have their own hideout, so the name became the The KCC Spirit & Raw Bar.”
Shakey Jakes expanded again last year opening a pizzeria, in Green, called Camisa Pizza.
“The building at 134 State Route 183 has been a bar-restaurant since the 60s (as far as we know) with many different owners and names; but we have been there the longest,” Deitrich said.
As to business longevity, he said, “It takes lots of hard work, I can’t stress that enough. It also takes strong family values; when we first opened we worked six to seven days a week. Also, we couldn't do it without a great staff and we are very lucky in that aspect. A lot of credit has to go to positive personalities and Nancy is a great people-person.”
Annual events at Shakey Jakes include; a Father’s Day Pig Roast and another Pig Roast to support the local Fire and Rescue Squads. When it comes to catering, the restaurant offers an extensive catering menu and offers both on-site and offsite catering.
“We have done many farm parties, weddings, fundraisers, you name it, “Deitrich said. “We have two Model-Pig Roasters, one large smoker and we do all kinds of themed-parties from pig roasts to barbecues, turkey fries, etc.”
As a husband and wife owner team, both managed the restaurant.
“Nancy was in the front of the house and me in the kitchen,” Deitrich said. “But a year ago we hired a general manager to lighten the load. The biggest challenges have been the economy and keeping quality people. The biggest reward has to be making a living to watch our three boys grow up and become men."
K.C.C. is open Thursdays through Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. for fresh seafood, delicious appetizers, fancy drinks and “even fancier desserts,” Deitrich said.
For more information, visit: https://www.shakeyjakes.net.