In keeping with the old adage that when robins appear spring has arrived, an influx of new restaurants is usually the harbinger of revitalization in a neighborhood or city.

And the latest arrivals in Burien’s wave of new eateries are Breaktime and the soon-to-open Mark Restaurant and Bar, both on Southwest 152nd Street in the downtown business district.

“Places to eat are magnets, frequently drawing other small shops to join them, sometimes more places to eat and often other types of businesses,” according to Debra George, executive director of the Discover Burien Association.

“This clustering effect, when restaurants and boutiques are grouped together, works well for both of them, since patrons of the restaurants will stop to shop nearby and customers of the businesses will pop in to eat after shopping.”

Taking a break

Tammy Shenenfelt, co-owner of Breaktime with husband Rob Shenenfelt, is a longtime Burien resident who appreciates the changes in the city.

“It seemed to me for a while like Burien was dying,” Shenenfelt said. “It’s so exciting, being from this area, being part of the growth.”

The Breaktime is located at 635 S.W. 152nd St., phone 206-243-6810. Hours are Monday-Sunday 10 a.m.-2 a.m., although on slow Sunday nights the restaurant may close by midnight.

“It was always my intent to own my own place some day,” Shenenfelt said. “There’s no better way to meet people, and I’m a people person.”

Although she had worked as a cocktail waitress and her husband as a cook, they needed better incomes to raise their children. So they left the restaurant industry for corporate jobs until Shenenfelt quit to run Breaktime.

With white walls offset by dark wood, artistic photographs of Burien and a rose motif, Breaktime is a homey joint that feels like the sort of small-town diner where everyone knows each other.

“We want the customers to come on in, relax and be part of our family,” Shenenfelt said. “You can come here in your sweats or dress up if you want to.”

Breaktime dishes up breakfast, lunch and dinner at affordable prices with a focus on home-cooked comfort food like chicken-fried steak, fettuccine and burgers. Homemade potato and macaroni salads come from a family recipe.

Most menu items are available any time of day. Breakfast is served until closing time.

In honor of the Shenenfelts’ connection to the Ding How, which goes beyond the shared location, Breaktime also serves its predecessor’s more popular items, from garlic chicken wings to pot stickers.

“My husband’s dad spent a lot of time at the Ding How when he lived here,” Shenenfelt said. “The weekend we came home from his dad’s funeral we found out the restaurant was for sale. It was like it was meant to be.”

Shenenfelt, whose limited appetite made dining out for her corporate job difficult, has designed a menu section for the smaller eater.

Desserts change frequently, including unusual entries like eclairs and Irish cheesecake created by a couple of culinary arts students who cook for the restaurant.

Shenenfelt noted that the money made in Breaktime’s lounge allows the restaurant to provide higher quality food at a lower price than is customary at a similar type of eatery.

“Not all of the profit has to come out of the food,” Shenenfelt said.

The lounge features constant specials, such as two tacos for $2 on Tuesdays and happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. every day with well drinks and domestic beers for a mere $2.

One thing Shenenfelt likes about her venture’s Burien location is that most of the city’s business owners understand the need to work together to succeed.

“I’ve had them come in and ask, “Is there anything I can do for you?’” Shenenfelt said. “I haven’t seen that anywhere else.”

Like George, she sees the upsurge in new businesses, even other restaurants, as helpful to Breaktime’s survival.

“I don’t look at any of these guys as competition, since we all do different things,” Shenenfelt said. “I feel they bring more people to Burien, which brings some of those people to my door.”

Making a mark

The Mark Restaurant and Bar is heading down the homestretch toward an anticipated opening of its doors later this month.

A grand opening depends, however, on completion of construction and the many loose ends inherent in establishing a new business.

The Mark Restaurant and Bar at 914 S.W. 152nd St. (phone 206-242-4737) will be open Tuesday-Thursday, 3-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 3-10 p.m.; and Sunday, 3-9 p.m.

A Sunday brunch is being considered.

Even in its semi-completed state, The Mark is an inviting space warmed by earthy reds and golds. With a nice balance of rustic and cosmopolitan design elements, it establishes an atmosphere where customers will feel at home, whether in casual or formal attire.

Serving contemporary American cuisine, the Mark offers dishes that blend familiarity with sophisticated twists. Chef Will Collier, a Burienite and member of the Burien rock group the Daddy-Os, drives the menu choices.

A fan of the Italians’ way of cooking, Collier incorporates their preference for fresh and local ingredients into his menu wherever possible.

As in Italy, vegetables have a strong presence in Collier’s fare. Roasted, marinated sweet red peppers may cradle a citrus-marinated top sirloin steak or cozy up to a roasted Portobello mushroom.

Given Collier’s strong appreciation for fresh herbs, even the plainest menu items have character. An heirloom tomato salad is sparked with lemon thyme and a fusilli side dish is infused with fragrant saffron.

His French training shows its hand in his use of reductions, such as the intense, sweet balsamic vinegar reduction that complements his marinated, roasted Portobello salad with roasted sweet red pepper, crumbled goat cheese and fresh herbs.

While Collier’s dishes are lovely, with sauces drizzled in decorative patterns and enticing colors, he sidesteps a couple of traps common to restaurants with upscale leanings: disappointing flavor that doesn’t match the promise of a dish’s looks and tiny portions.

“My goal is to prepare good food, as opposed to good-looking food that may not taste good,” he said. “You should get value for your dollar when it comes to flavor and size.”

The menu has everything from seafood to vegetarian pasta. In homage to the steak houses that previously occupied the Mark’s location, Collier will serve several steak options.

Jennifer Waggoner, the Mark’s bar manager, noted that the diverse wine list roams the globe with an eye on quality and value.

Customers looking for a drink and a nosh rather than a full meal can hang out in the Mark’s bar. A banquet room may be reserved for small groups and, in warmer months, customers may dine outdoors.

The Mark’s investors, siblings Chris, Kathy and Calvin Mark, have more than 15 years of experience in the restaurant industry.

As Burien residents who have operated their eyecare practice, OptiMark, in the community for 14 years, Chris and Calvin Mark say they have a vested interest in being part of Burien’s renaissance.

Eventually, OptiMark will move from its Seahurst location to a spot next to the Mark.