Story

In 1966 Robert and Ila Waseka opened the 14th Country Kitchen in the Minnesota-Wisconsin franchise. The restaurant featured breakfast specials that included, 2 eggs, hash browns, toast, and coffee for only $1.99. They made a signature strawberry pie that sold for only 60 cents. 

Robert and Ila Waseka owned the business until 1984 when it was taken over by their sons John and Mike Waseka. The sons revamped and renovated the Country Kitchen into the Copper Lantern. Years later the business was sold to John Waseka and his sister Robin Waseka helped him run it. 

For the next 40 years, the Copper Lantern continued to sell its signature breakfast combined with its quick service. In 2022, John Waseka’s daughter Madison Waseka continued the family legacy by buying the restaurant from her father. 

In 2023 she followed in her father’s foot steps and decided to freshen up and revamp. As an ode to both her grandparents and her father’s restaurants, she renamed the Copper Lantern to the Copper Kitchen. A combination of the Country Kitchen and the Copper Lantern. The restaurant now features all the classic breakfasts with a slight twist. She added a Beer and Wine license so you can enjoy your morning breakfast with a specialty Mimosa or locally crafted beer.