Thomas DesForges preps a pair of lunch plates at the newly opened Tama Cafe on the corner of W 3rd Street and Highway 63 in Tama, next door to the Tama Laundromat. -- Darvin Graham/News Chronicle

Thomas DesForges has been at home in the kitchen since he can remember.

“When I was five years old I remember learning how to make a roux with my mom and grandmother at home in North Carolina,” DesForges said. “Everything in our house was really based around the kitchen.”

A passion for cooking has come full circle for DesForges who is now at the helm of the recently opened Tama Cafe in downtown Tama on W 3rd Street.

Tama Cafe offers all-day breakfast staples like pancakes, omelets, biscuits and gravy, and egg skillets alongside burgers, hand-breaded tenderloins, sandwiches and fried appetizers on their everyday menu.

A selection of rotating daily specials will keep something different on the menu most weeks. One recent favorite on the daily specials rotation has been DesForges’ take on a rise-and-shine burger that he calls the Ultimate Burger. A 1/3-pound Angus beef patty is topped with an egg, hash browns, an onion ring, bacon, gouda cheese and Heinz 57 aioli sauce to make the Ultimate Burger a formidable entree.

Up close and personal with the popular Ultimate Burger creation at the Tama Cafe. Eggs and hashbrowns on top of a burger and an onion ring make this nearly two meals in one. Photo contributed

DesForges remembers growing up with blue plate specials being a popular diner menu concept at many local diners with one serving of meat, one serving of some type of potatoes and a serving of vegetables loaded on a plate for a good price. He plans to build his own version of that concept at Tama Cafe, hoping to provide a high quality hot meal that can stick to the ribs but not to the wallet.

“Since I got started here I just want to make good food accessible to people, even in hard times,” DesForges said.

DesForges has been in the Tama-Toledo area for three years. He lives in Tama with his fiance Amanda and six kids and brings an associate’s degree in Culinary Management into the new business.

The cafe, at the corner of W 3rd Street and Highway 63 in Tama, opened Oct. 1 during a year that’s seen both loss and opportunity.

Similar homestyle diner establishments in the area including Big T Maid-Rite in Toledo and King Tower in Tama closed their doors for good in 2020 after lengthy tenures in the community.

Thomas DesForges outside of the Tama Cafe on W 3rd Street in Tama.

Conversely, the past year has also seen the start of new Tama-Toledo restaurants including the reopening of Bumblebee’s Pizza in Toledo and the new Papa’s Pizza & Pasta in Tama.

DesForges hopes that providing a consistent breakfast and lunch menu six days a week will meet the needs of local customers while keeping costs and overhead expenses manageable.

In recent weeks while the COVID-19 positivity rate numbers have been increasing in Tama County, Tama Cafe has adjusted to take-out only dining. The restaurant takes a number of pandemic safety protocols including requiring face coverings for patrons and staff, readily accessible hand sanitizer and a routine sanitization and cleaning schedule throughout the whole facility.

Once it’s safer to do so, DesForges plans to reopen the dining area for dine-in service.

Another challenge that restaurants in rural areas have faced this year is the difficulty to hire and maintain hourly staff. Once the dining area opens back up DesForges plans to operate his restaurant more like a cafe where customers step up to a counter to order rather than needing a wait staff to wait on tables. He’s also adjusted to purchasing ingredients locally at grocery stores rather than through food vendors with an eye toward flexibility given that his business is just beginning at a time when foot traffic can be unpredictable. DesForges also hopes to shop the Toledo Farmer’s Market next summer to source fresh vegetables for his menu items.

The Tama Cafe offers a wide selection of lunch sandwiches including a patty melt, cheeseburgers, and hand-breaded tenderloins.

DesForges reports that business has slowly but steadily picked up week-over-week since he began work in October.

Tama Cafe can be found at 109 W 3rd St. in Tama. Their hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and take-out orders can be placed by calling (641) 481-7232. The cafe also posts updates and daily specials on their Facebook page under the name Tama Cafe.

Tama Cafe manager Thomas DesForges at the grill preparing lunch at the recently opened establishment in downtown Tama. The cafe offers breakfast and lunch six days a week and is looking to fill the void left by area diners that closed earlier this year. -- Darvin Graham/News Chronicle