Sunray Square Cafe is perfect fit for Willmar community

Date Modified: 02/04/2010 8:37 AM

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Sunray Square Cafe and Deli

Location: 4820 Hwy 71 NE; Willmar, Minn.

Hours: 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. seven days a week except for major holidays

Customer favorite: For breakfast it's the No. 6 - two eggs, choice of meat, hashbrowns and toast or pancakes for $5.59 and, at the same price, for lunch it's the beef commercial.

Contact them at: (320) 214-0499

WILLMAR, Minn. — It's not difficult to find something to please every palate at the Sunray Square Cafe and Deli in Willmar.

The cafe and convenience store, located on Highway 71 in northeast Willmar, has more than 100 items on its menu including 11 numbered breakfast items.

Each day Sunray restaurant manager Steve Sarafolean offers five rotating lunch specials and a beef commercial. The specials include such delicacies as a shrimp dinner, steak sandwich and spaghetti with meat sauce.

Pork fritter sandwiches and Friday quesadillas are some of the other customer favorite specials.

Each day he prepares a soup special. Yukon Gold potato with bacon, chicken wild rice, cheeseburger chowder and chicken tortillini with spinach are some of the Sunray's soup offerings.

The menu is "Cafe Americana," Sarafolean said. Items range from subs to wraps, soup to salad plus breakfast, lunch and dinner specials.

He has 38 years experience in food service. He got his start at age 12 when his father helped a friend start a vegetarian restaurant, Sarafolean said. He's learned the business from culinary school graduates and says the "from scratch" lessons he received from a Navy cook have been invaluable.

That homemade touch is something each of the Sunray's meals receives.

And it's not just the cafe that serves up tasty treats. Sarafolean also makes "grab and go" quick meals and treats sold at the next door convenience store. Hot egg sandwiches, cinnamon rolls, caramel rolls, and doughtnuts are served in the morning with quarter-chicken with french fry meals, chicken tenders, steak tornadoes are featured in the convenience store's heated case.

Customers can call ahead or walk up and order subs, wraps, pizza and salads from the Deli Max.

Sunray Cafe is a popular stop for travelers, Willmar residents and for snowmobilers and vacationers. There are 15 lakes within 15 minutes of the business, he said.

In winter he serves chili on Saturdays. It's a special treat for snowmobilers and ice fishermen. In the summer, the cafe adds potato salad to the menu offering.

And to top off the cafe meals, he offers a $1 bottomless cup of coffee.

The Sunray Cafe is a meeting place where good food and friendly conversation abound.