Ants Pants Cafe, A Neighborhood Staple, Approaches 20-Year Milestone

By Rolando Rosa

Ants Pants co-owner Paul Puma runs front-of-house. The restaurant and cafe is celebrating 20 years this October.

Fitler Square brunch spot Ants Pants Cafe is approaching a significant milestone. The cafe, located at 2212 South St., marks its 20-year anniversary this October.

Founded by childhood friends Liz Fleming and Nancy Silverman, with Paul Puma later joining as a co-owner, Ants Pants has become a fixture in Fitler Square's evolving culinary landscape.

The cafe's journey began when Fleming returned from Sydney, Australia, inspired by the vibrant coffee culture she experienced there. Teaming up with Silverman, they sought to fill a void in Fitler Square's dining scene.

"We searched far and wide," Fleming recalled. "This one came up and the rent was right.” The location, which had previously housed a Psychic Reading store, proved to be an ideal fit for their new venture.

What's in a Name?

The unique name "Ants Pants" – an Australian phrase meaning "the best of the best" – emerged from a conversation Fleming had with customers in Sydney.

"Ants Pants is like the bee's knees or the cat's meow. The best of the best," Fleming said. "...I was talking to my customers and we were shooting names back and forth. Somebody said it and I thought 'Oh, that sounds interesting.'"

Local Flavors, Loyal Following

Over the years, Ants Pants has cultivated a loyal following, with customers like Mike Wang, a regular since 2008, praising both the food and the atmosphere. "What I like is they make really authentic espresso drinks. If you like a flat white or a cappuccino, they're really well crafted," Wang said.

Wang's go-to dishes are the maple bacon sandwich and the hot and sweet bacon, egg & cheese roll. He also gives a rave review for the coffee. "The coffee is great. With their Australian background, they take their coffee really seriously. It's super reliable," Wang said.

The cafe's menu features local favorites like the maple bacon sandwich and Ants Pants pancakes, alongside expertly crafted coffee drinks using beans from local roaster Elixr.

Fleming described the cafe's approach to food and quality. "Just the idea of serving fresh, simple ideas that are constantly the same quality," she said. Fleming added that their philosophy extends to ingredient selection: "Using ingredients closest to their original form."

Community Ties and Future Plans

"We're just a real neighborhood place and we know most of our customers," Fleming said. "We've seen kids grow from babies to graduating college now basically."

As Fitler Square has grown and changed, Ants Pants has remained a constant. "I think obviously the population has grown a lot," Fleming noted. "There's original places like Café Lutecia, which was…here way longer than we were. Then little places started popping up and this became a desirable place for people to go out to eat."

Even during the challenges of the pandemic, the cafe's dedicated customers lined up for takeout orders, demonstrating the strong bond between Ants Pants and the community it serves.

"We're a super small business. We don't have a ton of capital behind us. We're in a city where the little guy sometimes gets swept under. We pay the same taxes and everything as the big guys," Fleming said. "In the pandemic it was hard to stay afloat. The customers were super supportive."

Fleming is effusive in her praise of Ants Pants' fellow owners. "Nancy is one of the backbones of the kitchen. She keeps everything moving with the orders and staffing," Fleming said. "Paul is the front of the house. He's the face. He knows everybody that comes in here. People come to see him."

As they approach their 20-year milestone, the owners are beginning to contemplate anniversary plans. However, their core mission remains unchanged. "We just want to keep serving really good food and having really good service," Fleming said. "As long as we feel like doing this, hopefully the customers will be here and continue to support us."

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