By TIM UNRUH

Salina Journal

HERINGTON -- Dreary economics followed Richard McFarland-Clark halfway around the world last year to Herington, where he set up defenses in a mom & pop cafe.

The Mansion Cafe is where he and wife, Cheryl, are using creativity, attitude and work ethic they learned overseas to battle the times.

"There's no guarantees. There's none issued," said the 50-year-old from Wales. But nearly a year since coming to this town of 2,421 people, the couple known as "Ritch and Cher" on their menu, are making a go of it.

With a Welsh accent and a unique approach, the cafe boss is a star in downtown Herington.

"The man's got some damn good food. It's one of the better restaurants in town," said Ray Miller, a Herington diner. "The ol' boy can cook a steak."

In a more than century-old building across Main Street from the Herington Post Office, The Mansion sports bread, buns and rolls made from scratch, a more affordable Recession Menu with meals for $5 or less, "Cheep, Cheep, Cheep" Tuesday night chicken dinners for $3.95, and monthly cuisine from around the world.

"We have converted the restaurant to our own food. We make more things from scratch now than we did, and people seem to like that," Clark said.

Some show up to hear someone near the center of Kansas speak with a Welsh accent.

"I speak English. You speak American," Clark said in a recent morning exchange with customer Bill Alcorn, a Herington regular.

"They've got a good cook here. The owner isn't worth a crap," Alcorn quipped affectionately to Clark, known to Alcorn as "King Louie."

"He can't spell," Alcorn continued as he delved into an omelette that lapped over the plate's edges.

"I'll give you such a kick in a minute," Clark responded.

That sort of conversation is "normal banter between us," Clark said.

Paved with economic despair

His path to Herington was paved by economic despair. Clark built a concession business in Great Britain, operating in a supermarket chain. When the chain declared bankruptcy, Clark had to start over, and he bolted for the States.

"It was a very difficult time for me. Britain is a much more expensive place to start a business in," he said.

After touring 11 states in 19 days, seeing 34 cafes and restaurants, Clark bought The Mansion.

"It has three apartments and a cafe. If the cafe isn't doing well, the apartments could support it ... you have more than one string to your bow," he said.

The Clarks live in one of the apartments, and they rent out the others.

The couple opened May 15, 2008, and enjoyed "very good" returns through the summer.

"When the economy tanked, it went down, and now we're starting to see a little recovery in the cafe business," Clark said.

Some of the better returns are for bad reasons.

"One business closed due to the ill health of its proprietor, leaving less places to go, so obviously others get a bigger share," Clark said.

A world beyond french fries

Burgers and fries do grace The Mansion's menu, but Clark throws in global twists. On March 1 -- St. David's Day in Wales -- The Mansion featured "Faggots and Peas." The dish includes large meatballs made of liver and pork, sage and onion, and some bread crumbs. Another was Bara Brith -- bread speckled with raisins, cinnamon and nutmeg. Still another was Cawl, or lamb soup.

"Welsh families would recognize that wherever in the world they were," Clark said.

Worldwide Wednesday is among his most popular events. A table is set for 20 with a family style meal from a different country on the first Wednesday every month.

"Everyone comes and sits at one time, kind of a boarding house table, and you introduce yourself," Clark said.

At the invitations of friends, he spent time in Israel, China, Australia and northern India -- just to name a few -- and has served cuisine at The Mansion from most of those areas.

"I did an Afghan one for some soldiers," Clark said. Worldwide Wednesdays this year have included Hong Kong Chinese, Mexican and French meals. Next month's fare is Italian.

At "10 bucks a head," the events are sold out months in advance.

"That really is to prevent me from getting bored, to make sure my skill level and things I've done in my life stay with me," Clark said. "If you don't use it, you lose it. I love doing it."

Eighteen under five

His answer to the down economy was 18 meals under $5. A full order of french toast is $3.25; all-you-can-eat pancakes are $4.95, as is the philly steak sandwich. Fries or a trip to the salad bar cost $1 more.

"People still have a need to eat, to have lunch. If I'm going to get those people to come out and eat with me instead of taking a sandwich to work, I'm going to have an offering that doesn't break their budget," Clark said. "The Recession Menu was born of that. It has been received very well."

He trimmed $1.25 off of those menu items. Homemade bread cuts the cooking costs, Clark said, but basically the Recession Menu was made possible by cutting profits.

"My view is you're better off having a customer, making some money, than sitting there alone," he said.

Beer shirts for Catholics

More than food and price bring people to The Mansion.

Retired railroad worker Charles Otis likes the atmosphere and the owner.

"I come in, get coffee and read the paper. (Clark's) just funny. He's a pretty good addition to the town."

Clark wears jeans, T-shirts, sometimes beer shirts "for the Catholics," he said, and sandals in season. Visiting with the locals is among his loves.

The reciprocation is in those Welsh phrases.

"Beautiful language, isn't it? So elegant," said Robbie Kramer. After morning Mass, she stops by for breakfast.

"This is more homestyle, a very relaxed atmosphere, and it's a bottomless cup of coffee. We like to sit and gab for a long time," she said. "If you go away hungry, it's your own fault."

Clark greets his customers as they enter and seats them. If the crowd grows too large, there's a room in the back.

When they leave, the departing words are always "God bless."

The Mansion is open from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Saturday.

Clark wants his restaurant to serve the community. He has offered it free to churches and other nonprofits for evening events.

Honesty and trust

Among the takers is Herington's Faith Covenant Fellowship Church, which will operate the restaurant on Friday nights to provide income opportunities for people, Rev. Gary Schrader said.

"They'll market it, do what they need to do, and run it. Young people will learn a skill, a bit of cooking, and they'll make some money for their church," Clark said.

The Herington Veterans of Foreign Wars ladies' auxiliary has its monthly meetings at The Mansion.

"I'd like the place to be open seven days, seven nights a week," Clark said. "If you have a building and it's not used, it's wasted."

Nearing a year in the middle of the United States, he has grown to love the American and Midwest cultures.

"Honesty and trust are still at the forefront of what people do. In general, people here would rather help you than hurt you," Clark said. "People like to see you in business and trying to do the best you can."

Ritch and Cheryl have been apart since Jan. 8, when Cheryl went to Wales to visit family and friends. While there, she suffered a stroke and a heart attack.

"She's OK. Everyone is praying for her to come home. I think they're sick of me," Ritch said. "The good thing about being sick in Wales, it's all free medicine."

The recession has been a mild bane to Clark. He's running the restaurant with himself and a cook.

"If you are in a job that hasn't changed, you're having a much better time than you were a year ago," Clark said. "When you consider that 20 percent of people in this country will be affected by job downturns, the other 80 percent never had it so good. That's why I'm certain we'll get out of this."

n Reporter Tim Unruh can be reached at 822-1419 or by e-mail at tunruh@salina.com.

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