In two years, Jake and Brooke Arnold have expanded their business to include not one but five different restaurants in Southwest Michigan. The latest one being Brookies Café in downtown St. Joseph, which is set to open on Thursday, March 27th at 8:00 a.m.
The Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber will host a special ribbon cutting celebration on opening day at 10:00 a.m. with the ribbon cutting itself to take place promptly at 10:15 a.m. Brookies Café’s new St. Joseph location marks the second for that brand, the first opening in downtown Dowagiac, the fifth overall under Jake’s Restaurant Group, and the first for the couple in Berrien County.
“St. Joseph opens a whole new world for us in terms of customer base and opportunity to grow and build connections with people,” says Jake. “Our goal is to not only provide our customers with delicious food, but create a space for them to sit and relax, or ‘grab & go’ as they head to the beach or back to the office.”
What first started with the purchase of a convenience store in Twin Lakes near Dowagiac, now called Happy Jake’s led to the purchase of the former Amy’s Fabulous Diner now Wakey Jake’s in Marcellus. The next addition was the former Lutz Drive-In in Sister Lakes that is operating now as Arnie’s Drive In and officially open for the season; which brings us to the creation of Brookies Café, which saw its first location open in January of 2025 in downtown Dowagiac before expanding to St. Joe.
Located inside the former Kingfisher location at 210 State Street, guests entering the new St. Joe Brookies Café will be met with delicious breakfast and lunch offerings that are a blend of Panera meets The Mason Jar, including a grab and go section.
Open Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Jake adds, “Our model is built with a focus on our people, proving them with leadership opportunities, and a chance to rest, go to church, and spend time with family and friends on Sunday. Something that is incredibly important to my wife and I.”
For more information search Brookies Café St. Joseph on Facebook.
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