WHAT IS PREN?
There is an old saying: “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.” Food is often tied to our identities, our past, and our social circles. Many of us grew up eating meals lovingly prepared by our parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. We sat down to dinner and talked about our lives, even if only on holidays. Food is still the thing that has the power to bring people together in a way that little else can. People line up for food, people travel for food, and people get excited about sharing food with others. Food is more than a basic biological requirement- it’s a common connection between all people.
When we came up with the idea for PREN, we wanted to create the kind of place that felt like home. We wanted to serve dishes that provided the same warmth and care of those old family recipes. We wanted a cozy space where the outside world could disappear for a little while. No phones. No electronics.
We know that people are busy. We know that it’s hard for an entire family to get together a few times a week to share a meal. We get it. That’s why we did this.
It took us over 18 months to conceptualize what we wanted PREN to be. We could have simply painted the old walls and reopened, but we were trying to make a place that was special. The type of place we would want to go. The type of place we would want to work. Our happy place.
So, what is PREN? Is it an abbreviation for something? What does it stand for? We hope that it comes to mean something different to everyone. It might be the place that has your favorite burger, or it might be where you go to do your homework and eat pie. Think of us as the “kitchen table of the neighborhood.”