THE CORNER PATIO
Genuine human connections.
They were honestly just going to tear it down.
The building on the corner at 919 N. Broadway needed some work, to say the least.
“It was disgusting,” Jennifer Neisler said. “It really made the most sense to just take it down and start fresh.”
But as they went through it more, checked it out, started finding the historic markings and features, the heart and the mind started changing.
“We just started thinking more that we should do something with it,” she said. “People in town are doing such a great job restoring old buildings, and bringing this one back to life would feel good.”
That restoration project eventually became what today is The Corner Patio, a place to be together, enjoy good food and drinks, and most importantly, get outside.
“Pittsburg has so many great restaurants and coffee shops,” Kathrin Neisler said, “but there weren’t a lot of places to sit outside and enjoy those things. The main goal we had was to provide an outdoor space. The food and drink part is really secondary.”
Dexter Neisler said there is just something special about being outside with friends and family.
“We had this space, and we just all agreed how neat it would be to provide an outdoor space for Pittsburg,” he said. “So many great memories are made outside. I think it just helps people relax a little bit more and unwind.”
Jennifer said she enjoys seeing the “genuine human connections” that are made on the patio.
“The outside area could be packed, and you look around, there are no cell phones,” she said. “Everyone is engaged and talking to each other and listening. Those genuine human connections are still so important to all of us.”
The owners don’t consider The Corner Patio a restaurant, necessarily, but they do want the food and drinks to be good. The food menu ranges from a BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich and Big Pretzel to a Philly Cheesesteak and the popular Walking Taco.
They also offer a wide variety of smoothies, fountain drinks and desserts.
“The idea for the menu was to provide a lot of grab-and-go stuff,” Kathrin said. “It’s not about fine dining. There are plenty of great restaurants in Pitt. We’re not trying to compete with them. We wanted some items people could pop in and order, then take outside and enjoy.
“We sometimes laugh and say we’re an upscale concession stand.”
The response since opening has been incredible, the owners said.
“We really didn’t know what we were getting into at first, but the response definitely made us feel like we made the right decision,” Jennifer said. “We have our regulars, special groups, Pitt State students … it’s just so nice seeing people enjoying time with each other.”
Another special component of the business is the family connection. They own and operate it together.
“Mom is my best friend,” Kathrin said. “Working together every day is the best thing we could have chosen to do. It’s wonderful.”
Check out The Corner Patio on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheCornerPatio
