The Owners

Young man proves experts wrong by
recovering from childhood illness to
become entrepreneur

Cafe fulfills dream for parents and son

BY WILLIAM CANTERBURY
Akron Beacon Journal staff writer

Published Sunday, November 29, 1998, in the Akron Beacon Journal.

When John Balas saw a new pair of khakis hanging in his son Andy's room, it made an indelible impression.

``I told him, `Those are pretty nice pants.' '' ``And he said, `Yeah, those are my work pants,' '' the father recalled.

What made that moment so poignant for John Balas -- ranking right up there with a child's birth, first day of school and graduation -- was that Andy, now 22, was once written off as never being able to walk or talk or understand anything again.

Not only has Andy Balas proved the experts wrong by recovering from a catastrophic illness in childhood, he has become an entrepreneur.

Given Andy Balas' setback from an early age -- problems that radically changed his and his family's lives forever -- his ability to embark on such an adventure was momentous.
Representing the realization of a dream he had been fantasizing about for years as he slowly recovered, Andy Balas was going off to work like any other young man -- at his and his parents' new coffeehouse.

He overcame struggles that began on July 3, 1986, when, at age 10, he suffered a stroke that left him needing continuous long-term treatment and care.

``The doctors told me he would never walk, he would never talk and he would never understand anything said to him,'' John Balas said, recalling the day.

``Two therapists told us he should go to an institution -- it was too taxing for the family to take care of all his needs,'' John Balas said. ``(My wife) Kay wouldn't hear of it. `The family can take care of him,' she said.''

Over the next several years, Andy Balas underwent four brain and two heart operations.

``We were devastated. You almost become numb,'' John Balas recalled. ``You concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other to get through each day.''

Progress comes slowly

Andy Balas' parents still recall the first time their son could walk and talk again after he got out of the hospital.

``I remember the first day he walked across the kitchen and he started feeding himself on Thanksgiving,'' five months after he had become stricken, John Balas said.

Shortly after their son's stroke, the Balases filed a lawsuit against a dentist, a physician and a hospital over their son's illness, treatment and diagnosis. An out-of-court settlement reached in 1992 does not allow the Balases to discuss the suspected causes of their son's problems.

Court records show that Andy Balas was born with a heart defect. People with such defects are usually given antibiotics before dental work, because if bleeding occurs, they are considered at greater risk for developing infections from bacteria present in the mouth.

Andy was not premedicated by the dentist on one visit and he developed an infection in the bloodstream, which settled in the heart, according to court records. However, the dentist's attorneys contended that the organism that caused the infection is resistant to penicillin, so premedicating would not have helped.

Out of the settlement, a trust was created for Andy Balas' continued need for some help with daily living. It also provided the money for the building and opening of the coffeehouse.

Andy had dreamed about coffeehouses since his early teens, when he became a regular visitor at another coffeehouse in Fairlawn and fell in love with the ambiance of the place. At first, he hung out there with his younger brother, Ben. Later, he asked his English teacher at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School to tutor him at the same coffeehouse.

Because Andy Balas' parents knew he wanted and needed a career, in September they helped him open Cafe Momus at 491 Brown St., a long block south of East Exchange Street near the University of Akron.

The cafe is named after the Greek god of merriment and laughter. Those life-affirming characteristics could also stand for the way in which the Balas family's lives have turned around after many years of heartache and despair.

``Any parent is thankful when their kids are happy,'' John Balas, 52, of West Akron, said while working at Cafe Momus. The business is a corporation made up of family members -- Andy, John, Kay and Ben, who is attending art school in Maryland.

``(Andy) likes coming over here and seeing people, and people enjoy seeing him,'' John Balas said.

``It's better now because I get to help out,'' Andy said, speaking in a soft, engaging manner about having his own community-oriented place. ``I help out with everything -- dishes and all that fun stuff. It makes me feel useful.''

The business represents a marked change from the days when Andy Balas' family occupied his world of running to doctors and hospitals.

Mainly, Andy Balas credits his parents. ``I'm very grateful,'' he said of their support.

A place to hang out

The family's two-story, spacious cafe features such touches as a loft for board games, a jukebox and a fireplace. A library is off the European-style main meeting room downstairs. Students can find quiet for studying in the library.

Artwork adorns the walls. A long counter serves as the main focal point with its array of coffee selections and case of dessert delicacies to complement the light soup, sandwich and salad menu.

Mark Jamison, a former St. Vincent-St. Mary High School English teacher who was Andy Balas' tutor in his high school years and has become a family friend, has been to many European coffeehouses, and said this one suits Balas.

``He wanted a coffeehouse that fit his personality. He definitely already had a Ph.D. in hanging out, which is one of the requirements,'' said Jamison, who now teaches at Coventry High School. ``Andy has the kind of personality of liking to talk with his friends, and he developed a kind of salon of friends.''

Andy Balas' parents have done most of the footwork, ``but (Andy's) fingerprint is over the entire thing,'' Jamison said, noting Andy Balas' wishes for a fireplace and loft that overlooks the coffeehouse.

Andy Balas said he has formed close friendships among regulars at the coffeehouse, including university students and well-known sculptor Don Drumm, whose shop is around the corner and likens the cafe atmosphere to that of an English pub. Knute Larson, the pastor of The Chapel, can also be seen at the cafe.

John Balas retired last June as a counselor at Northwest High School in Canal Fulton so he could devote his time to the cafe and working with his son. The father jokes that the hours are longer than his school hours, but adds: ``the day zips by.''

Kay Balas, a sociology teacher at UA, helps by greeting customers and handling the ordering and paperwork. Sometimes, she even pinch-hits as the cook -- preparing sandwiches and desserts for customers.

John Balas attributes much of his son's success to his own perseverance.

``Through hard work he was able to do things, and through hard work is able to do this business,'' John Balas said. ``If you keep plugging along you can get what you want.''

Andy Balas still has some physical problems and remains on some medication. He cannot drive but hopes to find an apartment near the cafe.

``Well, the cafe is a tradition in the making,'' his father said. ``Thirty years from now, the students here now will come back to see us and they'll be famous book authors and musicians and they'll say they used to come here and study when they were undergraduates.

``We'll be here. It's fun talking to people and seeing what's going on in their world and welcoming them to our world.''