Saturday Business Spotlight: Imo's Cafe
[August 16, 2025] The
school bus didn’t drop Lindi Balazi off at his house. Instead, most
afternoons, it stopped at a four-way intersection where Lindi would step
off, walking the short distance to the restaurant his family ran. “At
times he [Imo Balazi] couldn’t come pick me up, and my older sisters
weren’t old enough to drive, so the bus would literally drop me off at
the four-way stop before going to the school,” Lindi said. “All I
remember is the restaurant. I grew up in a restaurant.” That restaurant
was part of a legacy started by Lindi’s father, Ilmi “Imo” Balazi, who
has been in the business for more than 30 years.
“What’s really funny is there’d be days I’d be stuck there with my older
sister, Sadie, too, who a lot of people know here,” Lindi said.
The restaurant was the backdrop for his childhood and the setting for
games, competitions, and
early lessons in responsibility. “We would both be stuck at the
restaurant, and we would try to find ways to kill time,” Lindi recalled.
“One of our favorite ones would be, who could keep their finger in a
little ice bucket filled with Mountain Dew the longest. We’d also see
how many creamers we could stack up together. And then, as we got older,
we’d start doing homework.” His two older sisters, Linda and Kadisha
(known as “the lucky one”) were already working at the restaurant by the
time they were eight or nine, cleaning tables and working the register.
“By 12, they were serving tables,” he said. “Sadie and I started in our
later years. Sadie started in her teens, and when I was in junior high,
I started being a busboy on weekends.”
Imo’s first
restaurant was in Forest, Illinois, at a place called the Hawks Nest. He
ran it for about 15 years before moving to Clinton, where he bought a
restaurant but flipped it instead of opening it, and then found a
location in Farmer City. That’s where Lindi says he spent nearly his
whole life. “I just remember him in the mornings coming home from break,
and then him always having to go back,” Lindi said. “He was extremely
hard-working, long hours. As a kid, you think that’s normal — I just
thought, ‘Dad’s a hard worker. I got all my nice things because of
Dad.’” In 2018, the family came to Lincoln, and that’s when Lindi’s role
started to change. “That’s when he kind of told me I should step up,” he
said. “In the beginning, my dad would do everything behind the scenes,
and I would handle hiring, firing, scheduling — the customer aspect. He
would do the ordering and business side.”
That balance changed in September 2021, when Imo was in a serious car
accident that kept him away from the restaurant for about 10 months.
“That’s when the transition started happening of me really taking over,”
Lindi said. “I do everything now. I do 100% of payroll, inventory,
scheduling — you name it.” He calls the shift from Imo to himself “old
school to new school.”
“I want to try new things; my dad knows the ropes and the pace he wants
to go,” he said. “It wasn’t that hard, other than putting more
responsibility on my plate. It was just there for me to take it, and I
stepped up. Knock on wood, I’ve been doing very good so far. It’s been
about three or four years since I’ve taken over, and each year business
has slowly increased. My staff has grown, too.”
Imo continues to weigh in occasionally and is still a voice of guidance
for his son. “He never tells me no — just to be careful,” Lindi said.
“Lately he’s been letting me be really free. I do anything I want
menu-wise. We have a great relationship — we can both tell when the
topic is business and when it’s father-son.”
The family is
still deeply involved in the restaurant’s day-to-day operations. His
sister Linda works as a head hostess, and Sadie is the head waitress.
“There are numerous times you’ll see her here by herself because we have
full trust in her,” Lindi said. “She does a great job of keeping the
employees on their toes.” He also credits much of his success to a
loyal, long-term staff. “Finding help has been an issue for a lot of
people. Knock on wood, I’ve been very fortunate not to have that
problem. I have a group of six or seven girls who have been with me for
about six years. My turnover rate is very low, and I think that’s
because of how we treat our employees. Yes, it’s a job, but it’s also a
safe place.” One of his newest servers noticed that right away, telling
him, “You guys are a great family.” Lindi noted that the trust felt in
the staff is mutual. “We all joke with each other, and there are days we
all cry with each other. It’s cool to see how well we get along. It’s
all one big family.”
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That sense of
family extends to customers. “We have a lot of customers who check in on
us — like, ‘Hey, how did you do at this?’” Lindi said. “I mean, I call
them my nights at the round table, but I have a lot of farmers who come
in almost every morning. They’ll come in four, five, six times a week,
sometimes a couple of times a day. They’ve been extremely supportive,
even in bad times. About a month ago, my AC completely blew out during
the hottest week of the year, but my regulars still came in saying,
‘Your food’s still great. Your service is still great.’ That support
means a lot, because in the back of your mind you always think the worst
of what’s to come. But they give reassurance that they’re still in our
corner.”
Lindi also makes an effort to give back to the community. “I like doing
this for one of the churches that buys kids school supplies,” he said.
“A woman came in and picked up a donation for that, and I gave $100
toward their next set of books.” He’s delivered food to local places
like the fire department, police stations, local banks, and other
businesses that have supported the restaurant. Even smaller gestures
make a difference, like when he checks the price of eggs with a local
Walmart employee, Tina. “She calls me up and gives me pricing,” he said
with a laugh. “She helps me save a dollar — she knows how it is on our
end, too.”
Lindi states that most of the menu comes from his dad’s original
offerings, but that he has introduced several new items that have been
well-received. “I’ve put a lot of new items on the specials boards, and
so far they’ve been a hit,” he said. “Hearing customers say they’re glad
they tried something new makes me happy — it’s a sense of
accomplishment.” One standout is the “Clucking Sandwich,” a hand-breaded
eight-ounce chicken breast breaded in their own chicken flour, topped
with homemade coleslaw, Lindi’s own sauce, and pickles on a hamburger
bun. He also takes pride in breakfast offerings and other specials like
fish tacos with his signature sauce and a “very berry” creation with
blueberries, strawberries, and cream cheese. Facebook has been an
important marketing tool. “I take all the pictures and make all the
posts,” he said. “It’s free marketing, and it helps draw in a different
crowd.”
Imo's Cafe is located at
616 Woodlawn Rd.
in Lincoln. They are open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.
and from 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Sunday. You can also check out their
Facebook
Page for additional information.
Although Imo is retired now, he still comes in most mornings to open the
restaurant and give Lindi a break. “If I ever get stuck on anything,
he’s just a phone call away,” Lindi said. Between family support, a
dedicated staff, and a loyal customer base, Lindi is continuing the
legacy he grew up in — the one that began with him stepping off a bus at
a four-way stop, walking through the restaurant doors, and calling it
home.
[Sophia Larimore] |
