Husband-and-wife team to open Filipino restaurant in downtown Perry. Lumpia anyone?
Keith and Mary Wilcots are planning to open a casual cafe serving up Filipino cuisine in downtown Perry.
They hope to open Lumpia Cafe in November at 1214 Washington St. across from city hall in the former spot of a financing company.
Their story
The couple met at Kaiser Permanente, a hospital in Los Angeles, when Keith was an admitting clerk and Mary was a financial counselor. They wed Nov. 6, 2018.
Keith later served a couple of years in the Air Force, which brought them to Warner Robins. While living in the Turner Park housing community on Robins Air Force Base, Mary answered a Facebook post asking if anyone knew how to make Filipino dish.
That led to her making Filipino dishes for family and friends and then launching Lumpia Bar on Facebook through which food for a holiday party or for a simple family meal could be pre-ordered.
The inspiration
A native of the Philippines, Mary recalled as a little girl watching her grandmother cook for her family and their community.
“Her cooking always brought our family together — which we always experience love, joy and family time,” Mary shared in a text forwarded to The Telegraph by her husband. “I’m sure it did the same to our community by seeing them smile, laugh and conversing with their family and loved ones.”
This was the inspiration behind Lumpia Cafe.
“I cannot wait to be able to serve my family, friends, military members and communities,” she texted. “My Lumpia Cafe will be Filipino/Asian cuisine.
“We will be serving Filipino food, (European) sweet pastries and (Italian) gelato. We believe that our products will bring a crowd from many different parts of Middle Georgia.”
Dreaming of opening their restaurant, the couple moved to Perry in late October.
“Our goal is to serve the community,” Keith said.
One way Keith said he hopes to do this is to have a special day for special needs children to come to the restaurant as a school field trip where they’ll enjoy Filipino dishes and enjoy activities like a bouncy house.
He’d like to do that at the restaurant the day before it opens to the public and hopes to partner with area schools and nonprofit organizations.
The food
In their business plan submitted to the city of Perry that Keith shared with The Telegraph, the couple outlined a variety of dishes they expect to serve from their namesake dish of lumpia to pork adobo to chicken pansit to garlic butter shrimp.
Keith will handle the front of the restaurant, while Mary will run the back.
“I can’t wait for people to taste my lovely wife’s cooking,” he said.
The 1,100-square-foot building, which has already been painted, will undergo an interior remodel, Keith said.
The dine-in restaurant, which will be capable of seating about 20 people, will also have a drive-thru. Keith said he plans to add covered patio dining to accommodate 20 more customers.
“We’re super excited about it,” Keith said.
This story was originally published August 15, 2022 at 5:00 AM.