Humans of the Keys

Rest In Peace Angie 💔

https://www.facebook.com/1388508628062607/photos/a.1388514888061981/1460484487531687/?type=3

Angie Wittke, AKA Mrs. Mac

My name is Angela, but I am known as Angie. I relocated from Illinois in 1986. I sacrificed marriage and children for the restaurant business. No regrets though, I love having this business, it is my heart. I have a niece and a nephew, so I am good to go! I have a wonderful, very supportive man in my life, which is great!

I love to be on the water! I spent 2 years traveling up and down the Keys with the Boy Scouts, diving every day and teaching boys from around the country to snorkel, clean fish, spear fish, it was wonderful! I am proud that while sailing with the boy scouts I obtained my 100 ton captains license. I love traveling and enjoying the beauty of our world and meeting beautiful people in it. If I could choose how to spend my time, I love being in the water most. I would submerse myself up to my neck in warm water and sit for hours. I also love roller blading and riding horses.

When I relocated to the Keys, I first worked at the old Pilot House Restaurant but shortly after I went to work on the glass bottom boat. I loved that! I learned the names of all 500 fish of the Atlantic Ocean, I enjoyed the 3 trips a day out to the reefs, I found it very exciting but the money wasn't that great, so I went back to the restaurant business. I applied to Mrs. Mac's kitchen because they were closed on Sundays, and I was accustomed to fishing on Sundays!

I applied to Mrs. Mac's as a server but was hired by the originator, Jeff McFarland as a cook. I cooked alongside him for about 6 months, then became a server, and then a manager. In 1987 Jeff decided to sell the restaurant so I purchased it from him. The rest is history!! It was the best decision I have ever made.

In 1994 I opened an original restaurant in The Pink Plaza, South of the Border, a Mexican restaurant. I ran that for 2 1/2 years and sold it to a man named David from California and he ran it for 5 years after that. It closed when West Marine bought out the space.

I went back to Mrs. Mac's, the little one. In April of 2011 I purchased the empty Pizza Hut building, renovated it, and turned it into the new Mrs. Mac's. Dean, my boyfriend, came to me and told me about the Pizza Hut building and encouraged me to buy it. It was so close to the first Mrs. Mac's that I said ok, I want it. My design inspiration has been a collaboration of people and suggestions. I knew I wanted shadow box tables and wanted the Key's history . I went to Jerry Wilkinson with the Historical Society and went through his stuff and picked out the pictures that are around. Julie Waterman from Shell World came in and helped me with all the nautical decorations and placing items in the tables, donating much of the sea life. Kim Brandell, a customer of mine for 20 years at the little place, came to me and said he wanted to design the floor, the bar tops, and the vanities in the bathrooms. We worked hundreds of hours placing things in the counters, etc. The palm tree is his, the jelly fish lamp, and the treasure chest sculpture on the wall. That sculpture was on a wall in a casino in New Orleans when the hurricane hit and the casino was destroyed. He was able to get his material back.

It is my passion to serve people and make them happy. I love to give them good food to eat. Business is in my blood! I will keep them both open as long as they are making money. Is Mrs. Mac's for sale? Well, everyone is for sale for a price but I am not looking for a buyer. I have not listed them. I wish I had expanded much earlier in my career, when I had more energy! There may have been Mrs. Mac's kitchens all the way down to Key West!

Something I do want to clarify....the big restaurant has the same group of wonderful people that the little one does.

My life wisdom, Do unto others as you want them to do unto you. Honesty is the best policy. Keep having fun!

I almost forgot I, love rock - 70s, 80s stuff. When I ask myself if there's anything else I would rather have chosen for a career the only thing I can think of is rock and roll singer. I think I made the right choice. I become hoarse after a big singing event and probably wouldn't have been to successful!!"