From the dairy to the diner: The story behind I-5 Cafe & Creamery
Frank Ferreira is not a restaurant guy. Or at least, he wasn't supposed to be.
The Ferreira family spent 42 years in the dairy business before Frank ever set foot in a commercial kitchen. Today, I-5 Cafe & Creamery is one of Orland's most familiar gathering spots — and the story of how it got there is pure Frank.
When the economics of dairying shifted, Frank found himself looking at a building he owned off Hoff Way and asking a different question: what else could this be?
He brought in a friend with restaurant experience to help get a kitchen up and running. When that arrangement ran its course, Frank did what he always does — he figured it out.
Frank is also quick to give credit to the I-5 Cafe team, including Debbie, who's been running the dining room since the beginning, and servers Courtney and Sabrina, who now help shape the menu and keep the daily specials fresh.
We sat down with Frank to hear more about the cafe, the community, and what keeps him going.
What do you want people to know about how you run this place?
I'm a fair person. I've been screwed by good people and bad people, but people who are fair seem to always get a fair deal in return. I do my best to treat everybody right. Not a pushover, but not unreasonable either. Just fair.
What do your regulars keep coming back for?
Breakfast, mostly. We're known for it, and we serve it all day — which I think matters, because breakfast is an inexpensive way to have a good meal. There's not one single item I'd point to, but breakfast is what we're built around.
What's something that might surprise even your best customers?
I think people really enjoy the family aspect of this place. My parents are here for lunch and dinner most days. Courtney's kids come through. Debbie's grandkids are in here. It's not just a business — it's a true family, the owners and the staff both. And on a Sunday, when you walk in with ten people and our team just makes it happen? That kitchen is small. For as much food as they put out, it's incredible. The credit is all theirs.
We also have a frequent diner program that a lot of people don't know about until they've been coming in for a while. Once they find out, they wish they'd signed up sooner.
What's a dish you're especially proud of?
The Frank's Pastrami Burger — that's my wife's creation, and I think it's just fabulous. That one gets people talking. The California Omelette is a customer favorite too. And the fish and chips — we started breading those in-house, and that made a real difference.
The daily specials are something we've been working on. We recently handed that over to our servers — Courtney and Sabrina came up with the current list and work directly with the kitchen. It's working out well. You've just got to keep changing it up.
What's the best thing about being a small business owner in a small town?
That's easy. The support. Especially during COVID-19.
During COVID, LeighAnn from Farwood reached out to restaurants all across Glenn County — pulled everyone together, not to compete, but to figure out how to help each other. We were sharing each other's posts, sending customers back and forth. I was bringing food home from Farwood because we were all just trying to survive together. That's the small town mentality. You know everybody, and everybody knows you.
Who in Orland deserves a shoutout?
LeighAnn and her husband Jim — for how they handled COVID, for how they showed up for everyone around them. That stuck with me.
Debbie also mentions Uncle Chong's, and she's right — they're always there when you need them.
What other local businesses do you recommend?
Ace Hardware, for one. Greg's Heating and Air — those are my guys for all my commercial properties. Honest, dependable, you don't have to second-guess them. And honestly? I can't think of a single business in Orland that I'd steer someone away from. I've had good experiences across the board. It's a good town with good people running good businesses.
How has Orland changed, and how has that affected the cafe?
Orland's grown, and it's going to keep growing. COVID changed everything, for the world and for us. The pressures on restaurants today are real. Labor costs, energy bills. PG&E alone has pushed some local places to close, and that's hard to watch. We invested in solar, which helped. We're also looking at how we do takeout, upgrading our packaging, making it easier for people to grab food on the go. You've got to adapt.
If you weren't doing this, what would you be doing?
I'm one of those guys who still doesn't know what he wants to do when he grows up. I never had one clear direction. But I'll say this — I enjoy what I do now. The restaurant, the properties. Most days, it fits.
I-5 Cafe & Creamery: 1165 Hoff Way, Suite 101, (530) 865-3000, i5cafeandcreamery.com
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