When Clytie Roberts-Glage moved to Washington, D.C. more than a decade ago, the Killeen, Texas, native found Café Berlin to be a little slice of home, just down the street. “My dad went to high school in Germany and I grew up in a town with a large German population, so German food reminds me of my dad and my childhood. It’s comfort food to me.”
When Clytie lost her job on the Hill just before Christmas 2007, she made the easy decision to ask Café Berlin owners Irene Khashan and Peggy Reed for a job waiting tables. Little did she know she’d find more to love at her favorite restaurant than simply the food and atmosphere. Rico Glage was Café Berlin’s new chef at the time, having moved to the U.S. from his native Reinberg, Germany, only weeks before Clytie joined the staff. While Rico’s English was limited, he apparently knew enough to sweep Clytie off her feet. The two were married in 2009 in Austin, Texas, where they soon moved to establish roots together.
From those roots, Rico grew a name for himself in the national restaurant scene. He helped establish Trace at the W Hotel in downtown Austin and traveled to other cities to help open other Starwood property restaurants. “It was difficult to leave D.C. and Café Berlin, but we told the owners that if they ever decided to sell the restaurant, to give us a call,” said Clytie. That moment came in 2012 when now-solo owner Irene called to tell the couple she was about to retire and asked if they’d still like to be restaurant owners. “Rico was working in Aspen at the time. I called him and I think I started the conversation with, ‘You’ll never guess who just called,’” Clytie said, laughing.
“We were being handed a profitable restaurant with loyal customers and a great reputation,” she added. “It was almost too good to be true.” But before the couple became Café Berlin’s owners, they called Steven Bankler, CPA. They wanted to be sure to have a handle on things from the start, including how to structure the business, apply for the licenses and navigate the world of business bookkeeping.
During their first year in business, Clytie and Rico have turned to Steven and his staff to help improve their bookkeeping, stay on top of tax filings and save money. Just as Café Berlin’s customers have come to admire its great selection of German brews, impressive patio and crowd-pleasing Rinderroulade, Clytie and Rico have grown to rely on the Bankler team. They’ve been able to remain proactive when it comes to managing the business side of the restaurant and, with Bankler’s continued help, they’re discovering new ways to invest Café Berlin’s profits into planning for the future. This includes establishing a solid exit plan to enjoy the next phase of their life when it’s time to retire.
If you find yourself in D.C., seek out Café Berlin, nestled at the bottom of three row houses on Capitol Hill. To learn more about Café Berlin in Washington, D.C., visit www.cafeberlin-dc.com.