The Beak Café, a new restaurant located on Fourth Avenue in Huntington, opened in July 2020 amidst the pandemic. Opening a small, locally-owned café during this time has proven difficult for owner Jacki Shaffer and her staff.   

“We’re trying our best. We opened during the pandemic,” Kyle Steele, general manager said. “There’s a lot of factors against a small business right now, so we really appreciate people for coming out and supporting us.”  

After her mother’s passing in 2005, Shaffer decided she wanted to bring to fruition her mother’s dream of opening a restaurant.   

The café is locally owned and operated by Shaffer’s family. When choosing a name, they wanted to honor Shaffer’s mother; however, they could not decide which name to use to refer to her. So, they chose ‘The Beak Café.’ The name ‘the Beak Café,’ according to Steele, came from the ongoing joke that Shaffer’s mother “always had her beak in someone’s food.”  

The café offers salads, soups, sandwiches, and a daily homecooked meal – sometimes two – based on Shaffer’s mother’s recipes. “I like the sandwiches; personally, that’s my forte,”  Steele said.

Steele also mentioned he is creating a breakfast menu that will be available in the near future.  

 “I wanted it to feel like the beach,” Shaffer said. “When you get off for lunch, you come in and get to feel like you’re at the beach for an hour or so.”  

The Beak Café offers many services aside from indoor dining. They provide free delivery to the University’s campus as well as catering.  

“You give me a party to plan, and it’s on,” Shaffer said. 

She spoke of previous events she has planned, including bridal showers, baby showers, and even anniversary parties. They welcome customers to use the restaurant to host events but also cater locally.  

The Beak Café is located at 412 9th St. 

Cameron Collins can be contacted at [email protected].