Clark’s Restaurant, a longtime Athens eatery, recently changed hands and is now Kat’s Restaurant. Located at 1221-D Kelli Drive, behind Cracker Barrel, Kat’s menu features a unique fusion of Southern favorites and authentic Mexican dishes.

Owned by restaurateur Maria Magdalena Bustos Rojas, who also runs Las Morelenses with locations in Madison and Athens, Kat’s Restaurant is named for the store’s manager, Katherine Fleming. Fleming, a recent graduate of the Athens Renaissance School, said Bustos bought Clark’s Restaurant because she always wanted to own a sit-down place where she could feature recipes passed down to her from her family in Mexico.

Born in Morelos, Mexico, Bustos learned to create simple, flavorful dishes as a little girl by watching her mother and grandmother in the kitchen.

Hoping to make a better life for herself and five children, including Angel Bustos, Fleming’s longtime boyfriend, Bustos emigrated to America about 20 years ago and settled in Athens.

“Originally she stayed with some friends and started catering and selling food to local construction sites,” Fleming said. “Eventually she made enough to open her first restaurant in 2006.”

An adept businesswoman, Bustos made successes of her first two enterprises and hopes to duplicate that success at Kat’s. Featuring a combination of Southern comfort food like the popular steak sandwich and authentic Mexican dishes such as her mother’s Milanese de pollo, the menu at Kat’s is distinctly American and Mexican, not Americanized Mexican. They also added an appetizer selection to the menu.

Open close to a week now, Flemings said business is strong, noting they retained a lot of Clark’s regulars. On Sunday, Fleming said they served close to 150 people.

“We want people to know that when they come to Kat’s they will get friendly service and a delicious meal, whether they choose an American dish or a Mexican meal,” Fleming said.

Closed on Mondays, Kat’s is open from 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. and 4:30 – 9 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays, 10:30 a.m. – 9 p.m., Saturdays and 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., Sundays.