In September, Cafe 1822 officially opened its doors in the Sandridge Student Center. The owners, Chuck and Angie Clark, opened C&A Catering in 2006 and worked in the food service industry for many years before that.

With C&A, the Clarks cater for events such as weddings, corporate breakfasts, holidays, and other special events. Cafe 1822 allows them to reach a new population of diners right in the heart of the historic Athens State Campus.

“The cafe is something that everybody can relate to, and 1822 is the year that the college was established, so that ties in with the community and the college,” said Angie. “We want people in the community to know they can come in; it’s not just open to the folks on campus. We want to be a vital part of the community.”

Their menu offers items, such as salads and sandwiches, burgers, chicken tenders, catfish, and shrimp baskets.

Prior to C&A Catering, Chuck was the kitchen manager at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. It was there the executive chef took him under his wing and he learned a lot about catering.

He went on to say he “thought, ‘I can do this’ and I really enjoy making things, being creative” and finding ways to make simple foods more attractive and appetizing.

After Chuck’s father passed, they converted a screened in porch into a catering kitchen and launched into C&A Catering.

“We’ve just been very blessed, and every step of the way the Lord has opened the door,” Angie said of adding Cafe 1822 to their business model 16 years after originally starting C&A Catering.

Since beginning the process of opening the cafe, Athens State has supported the Clarks every step of the way with making the necessary adjustments to the space to adhere to health department codes.

As Chuck and Angie get their bearings in the coming months, the community may see adjustments to the menu offerings as they receive input on what the community needs in a restaurant.

As the community ramps up for the holidays, Chuck and Angie will be offering holiday meal packages, with information becoming available in the coming weeks.

“We’ll have information in a week or so show about the holiday meal packages and what’s going to be available, and details on that because that seems to be something a lot of people are looking for,” Angie explained.

To visit Cafe 1822, turn off of Pryor Street into the parking lot beside Sanders Hall and enter the Sandridge Student Center. For more information, visit the C&A Catering Facebook page.