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Milton’s knows about loss, too. Weber, in part, started it as a family operation — Char, the face, and her son, Chad, the chef. It’s Chad’s recipes that Milton’s serves, even six years after he fell from his bike, later developing a blot clot from which he didn’t survive. The pandemic kept Weber busy, she said. But then the loss set in. Weber said she began to spend less time at the old family restaurant, and more of the load fell to her daughter. Weber said she was in a good spot financially, owing to the success of her bowling bar, Park Tavern in St. Louis Park. But Milton’s wasn’t. She’d been thinking of shuttering the place for months, long before she announced it on Facebook. Then the donations rushed in. William Wood, left, and his sister Rosemary Klass eat lunch at Milton’s restaurant Wednesday in Crystal. The longtime restaurant announced it was closing, and the community started a fundraiser to help keep it open. (Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune) A piece of the financial puzzle More than 230 people have contributed to Milton’s crowdfunding campaign. Customers were showing up and handing her checks, and the restaurant is filling the approximately 50 seats in its dining room again. “I was in shock,” Weber said. Patrons begged her not to close. The kitchen staff did, too. “Just the outpour was amazing.” “When people place their trust in you with their money — not just their trust, but their money — a responsible business owner has a greater responsibility,” Masi said. Mary Jane Pappas picked up a carryout order at Milton’s in Crystal on Wednesday. (Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune) ‘That’s all Chad’ The fundraiser gave Weber a clear look at the community she’s crafted, and she remembered how many people might lose their emotional investment in the place. Still, their financial investment, Weber said, doesn’t put pressure on her relaunch. She’s treating the spontaneous fundraiser as a Hail Mary, a chance to remake Milton’s rather than using it as a short-term solution to patch the holes. There are regular posts on Milton’s Facebook page, which gives frank updates on where the restaurant stands. But if there’s one thing that saves Milton’s, Weber said, it’ll be its catering. As companies send workers back into offices, Weber hopes they’ll come to her to cater corporate lunches, or “Vittle Packs.” Hiring a full-time catering manager is at the top of Weber’s wish list. She’d like food truck to take her meals on the road, too. Wafaa Sougdali, a server at Milton’s, laughs with customers as she takes orders Wednesday at the Crystal restaurant. (Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune) Garcia-Jones said she didn’t have any expectations of Weber to keep Milton’s open. If the relaunch doesn’t work, or is too painful, she understands if Milton’s closes. “We all love them, so we want them to have that work life balance that they want,” Garcia-Jones said.
