Todd Kenee was more than just one of Lebanon County’s finest chefs.
He was a good husband. He was a creator and collector of memories. He was a caring man.
Just like Franz’s Tavern was more than a neighborhood bar or hidden gem of an eatery.
Kenee and Franz’s Tavern will be forever linked, in much the same way all chef/owners are linked to their establishments. He will continue to serve as a reminder of how difficult and rewarding the restaurant business can be.
Read More: At Franz’s Tavern, come for the food, stay for the atmosphere
“He loved serving the people of Lebanon County,” said Belinda Kenee, Todd’s wife and partner. “Franz’s was the kind of restaurant people enjoyed coming to. It was our life for 25 years. We gave up a lot to serve the community like we did. But we both did love it. We appreciated everyone who came.
“I used to say Todd was the most Christian agnostic I ever met. He liked to argue whether or not there was a God, but he treated everyone like we wanted to be treated. He was patient. He was kind. But with his sickness over the last few years, he lost his patience. He didn’t have the desire or energy to deal with restaurant life. But he loved me to the core, and he always made sure I knew it.”
Todd Stewart Kenee succumbed to multiple organ failures and died at home, above Franz’s Tavern, on March 20. He was 59.
A few weeks later, an agreement to purchase Franz’s Tavern, which had been up for sale for two years, was reached.
Read More: Franz’s Tavern is up for sale, current owners hope it remains a country tavern
“We were both awake at 4:30 a.m. and Todd told me, ‘I can’t sleep. I’m going to watch Netflix,’” said Belinda. “When I woke up at 9 a.m. he was cold. It was quite a shock. We were planning to move to Kentucky. The last few months have been hard. I didn’t expect to be here when he died.
“After COVID, we knew it was time to sell the bar. The only stress we had in our marriage was work-related. It’s been hard. I miss him every day. Our whole lives have been here, I kind of feel like I’m leaving him behind. I don’t have any regrets about the life we had together except the things we didn’t get to do.”
Todd Kenee was the son of Stephan and Patricia Kenee and the brother of Stephanie Kenee. He graduated from Hershey High School in 1982, and later the prestigious Johnson and Wales University of Rhode Island.
Todd and Belinda met in 1999 and married in 2017.
“Todd was the friendly chef who just loved to feed you,” said Belinda. “I would want everyone to remember him as a very kind and honest person. He was a chef, but he also liked fishing, collecting guns, traveling and seeing the world. He was so much more than a chef.
“He liked keeping the tavern true to its heritage. He liked it being a dive. Not a lot of chefs dream of owning a neighborhood bar. He liked seeing the same faces. He liked expanding their food knowledge. He introduced new stuff to people. He never wanted to have a big menu, but he kept making it bigger.”
Todd Kenee was the executive chef at the Williamsport Country Club from 1981 to 1998. Late in 1998, he bought historic Franz’s Tavern, which has been located at 1400 S. Fifth Ave. for more than a century, and sold one of his cars in order to make his first food purchase for the restaurant.
“He wanted to own his own restaurant and he had been in the tavern with his dad when he was a child,” said Belinda. “He wanted to move to Lebanon to be close to his parents and he settled on Franz’s. He felt like he was coming home. He started cooking from day one and he bought the best ingredients. He always got so much pleasure from selling good portions for a reasonable price. To this day, some people still call him Franz.
“We evened each other out a lot. He wanted to be everybody’s friend. He was more comfortable being the chef and the creator. Everybody has their strengths, and my strength was managing people.”
Thanks to Todd’s cooking, the neighborhood feel of the place, and some themed activities instituted by Belinda, Franz’s Tavern soon became a staple in the South Lebanon community, and over time gained notoriety in other parts of Lebanon County.
“Some people didn’t know about Franz’s,” said Belinda. “We’d have people come in all the time and say, ‘This is our first time here.’ And they would become regular customers. When people left Franz’s, they didn’t leave hungry.
“Todd was born to be a chef; he had all kinds of recipe books. He basically had a genius IQ, and he had a great memory. He could make anything off the top of his head. He went to college and learned the knowledge, but he was born with a talent to cook. We would go to a restaurant, and he’d come home and recreate things. He knew the science of food and all of it was in his head. He took me to so many wonderful restaurants and taught me so much about food. He loved sharing that side of life with me.”
After a few offers fell through, Belinda reached an agreement with Andy Arnold, owner of the popular Bluebird Tavern in Cornwall, to sell Franz’s Tavern for $520,000. The sale is expected to be finalized near the end of August.
“When Todd’s health got worse, we knew we had to aggressive in selling it,” said Belinda. “I feel like I lost my job, my business and my husband all at the same time. We were both ready to move away. But with Todd dying, 90 percent of what I was looking forward to isn’t going to happen. It’s very sad.
“I miss the restaurant so much, I really do. I wish I could’ve kept it a few more years and kept it running. But I don’t think that’s what Todd wanted for me.”
In Arnold’s hands, the hope is that the future of Franz’s Tavern is secure, as well as Todd Kenee’s legacy.
“I don’t know what his plans are, but it’ll be a new chapter,” said Belinda. “Todd did not want to see what the next owner was going to do with it. It’ll be hard for me to see it different than it is. We had a lot of good times there. But I really do have good hopes for Andy Arnold.
“I know no one is going to understand the emotions behind it. I’m happy for Andy. He made a deal with Todd and I’m doing what Todd wanted me to do. I think they’ll make a nice go of it, but no one is going to make the same kind of food. No one’s going to make Todd’s food.”
“Cold beer, and pretty good food.” Great chef, and a pretty good guy.
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