German Imbiss closing its doors after many years in Copperas Cove downtown district
By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
A locally owned restaurant will be closing its doors on Saturday, April 16.
German Imbiss, a fixture on South 1st Street since 2014, has had its run.
Restaurant owner William Kalivoski, better known as Ski, made the difficult decision to close up shop for good.
In October 2021, his wife, Rosa, passed away, and it hasn’t been the same without her. At that time, Ski said he planned to keep the restaurant going through the end of the year if possible. It, like many other restaurants, fought the battle through the pandemic and had regained some momentum.
The eatery, which served up the cuisine of Rosa’s homeland, has had its share of ups and downs since its first beginnings in 1995 at 308 E. Avenue D, before closing in 2000 due to Rosa becoming ill at that time.
Then, in 2010 the Kalivoskis reopened at the same location on Avenue D, and after Mel’s Burgers closed on South 1st Street at the end of 2013, the Kalivoskis were quick to notice and make that location the place where German Imbiss remained for the next nearly eight years.
The timing was perfect to move, with the Kalivoski recognizing the need to expand.
Back in 2014, Ski told the Leader-Press that he believed in downtown businesses and they wanted to stay downtown to draw customers to the area. With that expansion, Ski was also proud to bring more jobs to Copperas Cove.
The Kalivoskis also had help over the years from her sister and their son, who also helped run the business.
On Wednesday evening, the tables were full and those with pickup orders had to wait, with the food coming out, true to Rosa’s traditional recipes.
German Imbiss has won annually in the Cove Leader-Press Best of Cove awards, and those awards, along with other awards, line the wall of the restaurant behind the counter.
Restaurant hours are listed as 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.