Women in Business: Michelle Witherington - Klinger's Cafe

Irmgard Klingler moved to the United States from Germany in 1954. Food was something she immediately found comfort in with this transition. That led her to found Klingler’s Cafe with her husband, Richard Middleton, in 1982.

The cafe opened its location in Vestavia Hills in the summer of 1991. This family owned and operated business has kept family as the foundation. The couple's daughter, Michelle Witherington, is co-owner and manager of the cafe as she works in all areas of the business. Witherington’s daughter, Chloe Sellers, works the register every Sunday next to her mother and helps carry on the family tradition.

“I have always been involved with the family business,” Witherington said. “Even when I was at Auburn University, I would come home on the weekends to work.”

Klingler’s Cafe has been described as European with an American twist. Little bits of Germany are hung on the walls throughout the cafe.

“The cafe is a combination of both my father's southern roots and my mother's German heritage,” Witherington said. “This is apparent in our menu mix from Southern Pecan Chicken Salad to our Smoked Bratwurst Platters and explains the uniqueness of our menu.”

Witherington has always been involved with the food industry. Her first job was fish frying at demos in grocery stores when she was just 15 years old. Now continuing in the family business, the food industry is one she has never escaped.

“I love being a part of this business,” Witherington said. “I love the demands, the rewards, the chaos, our customers, vendors and our staff.”

The menu at Klingler’s Cafe is constantly changing by tweaking traditional family recipes. Witherington also keeps the menu full of new items with her creative skills and mindset.  She has won many awards for her designs as she handles all the catering and special events.

“I need the structure to keep me focused and respect the importance of consistency but thrive on the creativity, there are no limits,” Witherington said. “I love the creativity in designing new menus, creating new products, planning parties but at the same time ensuring that we meet our customer's expectations in consistency.”

Kingler’s Cafe has been in business and supported by the community now for 29 years. The cafe was nominated by Alabama Travel and Tourism for “The Best Thing to Eat in Alabama,” for its Black Forest Torte cake. Food Network has also filmed at Klingler's recently. The cafe has more honors and features coming in the next year as they continue to grow.

“We provide a unique and memorable experience. It's about the food but not just the food,” Witherington said. “The experience is reflected in the ambiance and the service too. There is only one Klingler's and the experience can never be duplicated.”

Klingler’s Cafe, 621 Montgomery Highway South, http://www.klinglers.com, call at 205-823-4560, open Monday-Wednesday 7 a.m.-4 p.m., Thursday-Saturday 5-9 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m.-2 p.m.