How sweet they are . . . .
“They” are Wakey Jake’s Cinnamon Roll Pancakes.
“People have absolutely gone crazy over them,” Jake Arnold, owner of the newly established Wakey Jake’s, says about one of the new sweets available in town. The pancakes are just one of a few new items to grace the menu of the diner formerly known as Amy’s.
Wakey Jake’s, at 591 W. Main, opened to the public Friday, December 29, 2023. Since then, Arnold reports, it’s gone “as smooth as butter.”
Some may know Jake as the new owner of Happy Jake’s, formerly Cranky Hank’s, at 24992 Marcellus Hwy, Dowagiac, or maybe not. The transitions of both Hank’s and Amy’s to Jake’s was swift and sure in 2023.
So, who is Jake Arnold? Arnold is one of a quartet that includes wife Brooke, and sons Rowan, 2, and Tate 7 ½ months. Arnold grew up in Grand Haven, lived in Florida for 15 years, played football for Evangel University in Missouri, moved to Muskegon, where he met Brooke at a church group, and then moved to Holland where he started working for Gordon Food Service (GFS).
Arnold credits his years as a salesperson for GFS for introducing him to the skills needed to be a restauranteur.
“I sold to everyone around here. I sold to Amy, sold to Cranky Hank’s, sold to a lot of people in Dowagiac, St. Joe, Benton Harbor – so I knew a lot of the community already. That’s how I got into Cranky Hank’s. I was their sales guy. As a salesperson, I was in the back of people’s restaurants learning what worked and what didn’t.
“When they said they wanted out so they could go to Florida, I said I would love to do something with the place. After about a year of negotiations and the liquor license being transferred, we finally came to an agreement and [Happy Jake’s] opened in April.”
Arnold experienced a similar story with Amy’s Diner.
“About four months after we opened Happy Jake’s, Amy and I were kind of joking around and I asked if she was still selling the place and she said, ‘Yeh, Happy Jake’s Number 2!’”
“When Amy said that, I said, well Mike’s [Mahaffey] doing a really good job with one so I thought, you handle that, and I’ll handle this. So, I told Amy, ‘Let’s just sit down.’”
So, sit down they did. According to Arnold, Amy came up with a fair asking price and reasonable terms, and “she’s great to work with.”
“She’s been great throughout the transition. I attribute a lot of the success to Amy to how welcoming Marcellus has been. It would not be that way if Amy had not been so encouraging about change and the newness of Wakey Jake’s. People do get nervous about that stuff. Change is hard but when the former owner is excited for you, it’s awesome.”
Arnold also credits Mike Mahaffey for Jake’s success.
“I have to attribute so much credit to Mike. He was instrumental in our ability to grow quickly. He has taken Happy Jake’s and put systems and processes in place so that neither he nor I have to be there every day. We have a great staff over there and we have a great staff here; they do a great job.”
Happy and Wakey are just the beginning for the Jake’s franchise. Arnold’s goal is to have 10 locations in seven years. At Wakey’s, Arnold plans to begin serving dinner, Thursday through Sunday, 4-9pm, in March or April, or “whenever the pizza oven gets here.”
“I want to have a family fun area where people can come to eat. At the end of the summer, if all goes well, I’d like to add a patio and a three-seasons room so people can eat outside in the summer. We’re also going to add a walk-in cooler with some more kitchen space to accommodate additional seating.”
What made Marcellus attractive to Arnold?
“The opportunity Amy presented was what made Marcellus attractive. I love the diner. I’ve always wanted to have a breakfast diner and a cool Coca-cola theme. I always knew Marcellus needed something especially at night and I knew I had the potential to be that solution.”
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Wakey Jake’s is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 8:00am – 2:00pm; and Saturday and Sunday, 7:00am – 2:00pm. They are closed on Wednesdays.
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