The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Diner puts focus on food, community
‘Where friends become family’ the mission at Gateway Diner in Wickliffe
For Erin Behm and Shari Matyja, opening Wickliffe’s Gateway Diner, 29325 Euclid Ave., was more than just a business venture.
It was a way to highlight the lasting connections residents have made with one another in years past and to serve as the meeting place for community interactions in the years ahead.
Their business partnership started after a chance encounter found the two striking up a conversation about their shared hometown of Wickliffe.
“We realized we had all these ties,” Behm says from a table in their diner. “She went to Wickliffe High School like me. We both grew up here. We figured out, through six degrees of separation, that we had around 50 mutual friends and stories about growing up. We just hit it off from there.”
It wasn’t long after establishing a rapport that the pair noticed that Greek House Grill, located where Gateway Diner now operates, had unexpectedly closed. After reading concerns voiced by residents on social media regarding the closing, the two realized an opportunity had presented itself.
“We never wanted the fine dining or bar scene. With both of us having families at home, this was really attractive in the concept of early evenings in a familyfriendly environment.”
Described by the owners as serving traditional diner food with a modern twist, the family-friendly atmosphere has been a primary focus for both Matyja and Behm since Gateway’s opening in October. Emblazoned above the counter reads what equates to the diner’s mission statement, “Where friends become family.”
“My kids call her Aunt Shari. We’ve become really close,” Behm said. “When we were talking about this and trying to tie in that friends and family aspect we realized we wanted friends to sit and become family here.”
It’s a feeling the owners hope to impart to their patrons.
“People may come to think of us as family they see us so much,” she said. “We want to hear about their kids or their grandkids. We both have a lot of friends in the community that have children that are our children’s age, so our kids are growing up together and we’ve been through the parenting trials together.
“We’ve all gotten closer there. You really can’t sit in here for an entire day and not see someone walk in the door that another table doesn’t recognize.”
To that end, both owners have been mindful of the diner’s aesthetic forgoing blaring muzak and television screens in favor of facilitating the art of conversation.
“We really wanted to be the center of the community where people come and talk,” Behm said.
Gateway is still establishing its roots within the community but rapport among the owners and staff were quickly forged.
“It was seamless for me,” Matyja said. “We’re all a group of people who get along well. We have fun here. When we have to work, we work, but I think we’re able to have a good time.”
“For me personally, this was something that I had been thinking about since I was growing up. This is the industry I know,” Behm added. “I was 14 when I had my first job in the back of the house of a restaurant. I got tired of people telling me what to do and having good ideas for someone else.”
“We had a line out the door by 7:30 in the morning,” Behm reflected on the first day the Gateway opened. “It was rapid fire, but I don’t think we had the time to be stressed out.”
They’ve since made inroads with officials and schools.
“The ties are strong here,” Behm said. “We try to donate when we can. Everyone’s been so generous by showing up here. We hope, in turn, to be able to match that support.”
They are also in talks with Wickliffe Schools to host student artwork on the diner walls to serve as an impromptu gallery.
In addition to the schools, Gateway is forging connections with neighboring businesses as well.
Wickliffe Ignition, located across the street from the diner at 29400 Euclid
“... we realized we wanted friends to sit and become family here.” — Gateway Diner co-owner Erin Behm
Ave., shuttles their customers to the diner for a cup of coffee and a slice of pie or a sandwich while they wait for repairs to their vehicles.
“It seems to be catching on by word of mouth,” Matyja said.
As popularity of the Gateway continues to spread throughout Wickliffe, Matyja hopes to maintain the first-week buzz that initially jump-started the business. Behm looks forward to focusing on their take-out options.
So center-focused is Gateway’s sit-down dine-in experience that their drivethru window can easily be overlooked.
“I’d love to see more businesses utilize that,” Behm said.
Behm didn’t want to undersell their confidence in opening a diner, but she acknowledged a level of welcomed surprise.
“I don’t want to say that it’s going better than we thought and sound like we weren’t optimistic from the start, we were, but part of us is a little surprised at how consistent it’s been with our crowds and how we keep getting bigger and better crowds for dinner,” she said.