The beauty of Down Home Cookin'

By Pamela Cotant

Kipp’s Down Home Cookin’ is run by those who are related and others who just feel like it.

"This is a custom-made family," said one of its members, Kym Miller. "We wouldn’t have lasted 12 years if it didn’t work."

The "family" includes Mike Miller, who is Kym Miller’s brother, and Jerry Miller, their dad, along with the restaurant’s namesake, Forrest "Kipp" Thomas.

The restaurant was opened in 1996 in Fitchburg as North American Rotisserie by Mike Miller, Thomas and a third partner, Tim Jordan, who is not involved anymore. Miller and Thomas met when they played football at UW-Whitewater and they both knew Jordan.

They brought in Kym Miller to help. At 48, she is the older sister of Mike Miller, 45. The two children of Jerry and June Miller graduated from Memorial High School.

Later, Jerry Miller, a lifelong Madisonian, became an owner along with two investors and the restaurant moved to its present location at 1614 Monroe St. across from Camp Randall Stadium. At the time, the business was reinvented, partly by changing its name. With an ideal location and menu — the parking lot is turned into a tailgating event on football Saturdays, and other family members and friends help out.

Jerry Miller — whose grandmother, Carrie Williams, owned P & W Chicken Shack at West Washington and Park Street — works in the kitchen, serves food, works the counter and makes deliveries. His wife, June Miller, recently started helping out at the counter at the restaurant, which received a Dane County Small Business Award in 2008.

Kym Miller has a daughter, Niketa, 28, and a son, C.J., 20, who have worked at the restaurant.

Mike Miller’s 15-year-old son, Justin, works at Kipp’s Down Home Cookin’ and his daughters, Mikaela 7, and Jenai, 5, enjoy hanging out there. His wife, Annette, who formerly served as a mayoral aide and now works for Madison Gas and Electric, helps with the tailgates.

Thomas, 44, who is single, grew up in Maryland and Milwaukee, and has a daughter, Vivi, 4.

"We’ve always been a part of each others’ families," Thomas said.

The working relationship between the Miller siblings was not always as harmonious as it is now.

"At first it was difficult. We clashed quite a bit," Mike Miller said.

The secret has been carving out defined roles and focusing less on who is the boss and more on what is best for the restaurant. Mike Miller said he takes great comfort in his sister looking at the restaurant as her own.

"It’s not about who comes up with the idea," Mike Miller said.

Kym Miller admits to "big sister moments" when she finds it difficult to take direction from her little brother. But she said he is assertive enough to let her know who actually is in charge.

She is the "detail person" who takes care of little things like putting up the posters and pictures of various Badger athletes that line the walls. She also handles most of the personnel issues, does some of the ordering and works the counter at the restaurant, which is largely a takeout business although inside seating is available.

Her brother serves a role similar to that of general manager and handles much of the paperwork, finances and other administrative tasks.

Thomas is the cook at the restaurant, which specializes in chicken prepared different ways and 14 side dishes, some of them Latin. Just like the name says, the recipes are his.

He also likes to meet customers and enjoys making deliveries whether they are to a student apartment or to a large catering job. Thomas gets a kick out of watching the reactions of customers when they learn they are dealing with "Kipp."

"It keeps me humble," he said.

Jerry Miller, who retired from the accounting department at Wisconsin Power and Light, is in the business to help his son.

The senior Miller said he doesn’t give advice unless his son asks for it.

"He’s got everything under control," he said. "He and Kipp are making the decisions."

Despite its folksy name, Thomas thinks Kipp’s Down Home Cookin’ is like any corporation.

"You develop relationships that are like siblings…We lean on each other for a lot," he said. "When we walk out this door, we’re all back to being buds and brothers and sisters."

Pamela Cotant is a freelance writer.  

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