When Jackie Maliszewski started as a server at Cafe Thirty-A over 20 years ago, she could not have imagined she would one day own the restaurant. It is now one of the longest-running restaurants in the area, a place where everyone from guests to staff is treated like family.
Opened in 1995 by then-owner Harriet Crommelin, Café Thirty-A is a long-beloved Walton County dining institution. In May, this casual fine dining destination will celebrate 30 years in business along beautiful Scenic Highway 30A.
Maliszewski and co-owner Dave Kessler have worked alongside each other since she became office manager 15 years ago. They worked closely with Crommelin as well, and the two became like family to her.
“[Harriet] didn’t have any children; we were all like her children,” Maliszewski said of the restaurant staff. Crommelin trusted Maliszewski and Kessler to run the restaurant while she journeyed around the world. Her last trip was to Antarctica, where she contracted pneumonia and passed unexpectedly in 2023.
In her will, Crommelin left Café Thirty-A to Maliszewski and Kessler. Consistency is the key to the restaurant’s longevity, so the two co-owners have worked hard to maintain the quality of service. “We don’t want to change much of anything that [Harriet] created,” said Maliszewski. “She used to say, ‘if it ain’t broke…’ you know.
With an emphasis on Gulf seafood and Southern flavors, Cafe Thirty-A’s cuisine has remained fresh and delicious. They bring in local seafood from the Gulf and locally grown greens for dishes like their butter lettuce salad.
“It’s in our logo,” said Maliszewski. “Consistently delicious.” Menu favorites include the grilled Georgia quail with creamy grits and shiitake bacon butter, the jumbo lump crab cakes, and the restaurant staple: sesame-crusted yellowfin tuna.
The restaurant has also seen consistency in staff. From servers to bar staff, some employees have been there anywhere from 10 to 25 years. “We don’t have a lot of turnover,” said Maliszewski, “and we have people who come back [to dine] and ask for the same server.”
One regular’s special history with the restaurant began in childhood, when, as a young girl, she imagined the cafe catering her wedding reception. While in college, she worked as a summer hostess and, sure enough, when she married a couple of years ago, Cafe Thirty-A catered her reception.
“We have regulars that have literally been [coming] here since it opened,” said Maliszewski. “It’s still amazing, and that’s what so special about a restaurant that’s been open for so long.”
However, one aspect of the restaurant that has changed over the years is the interior. The walls, once a peach color, are now a sleek gray. The upstairs, once an open deck, was enclosed in 2007 and is now a functional space ideal for events. Large, open umbrellas hang in the rafters on the main level, adding a touch of whimsy. The interior is modern and chic, yet with an air of inviting comfort.
As Café Thirty-A turns 30, it remains a place guests can count on for exceptional dining, one that feels like a home away from home to those who visit and work at the restaurant.
“This is definitely a second home,” Maliszewski said of the restaurant. Her passion and the passion of those who started Café Thirty-A come across to everyone who dines there. “We try to treat them like we would want to be treated,” said Maliszewski. “When we bring guests in here, we want them to feel like they’re in our home.”
Café Thirty-A is open daily for dinner at 4:30 p.m. Reservations are required. For more information, restaurant hours or to make reservations, call (850) 231-2166 or visit cafethirtya.com.
