The eclectic diner located at 613 Pleasant Street has been home to several colorful characters over the years from the Central Grill to Sharon's Food with a New Attitude…from Maxine's to the Port O' Call and Dockside Inn. The longest running and most successful tenant over the past 40 years or better, however, has been the one that sits there today ready to celebrate 15 years in business — Thornton's Home Town Cafe. In fact, Kathy Thornton has been so successful there that she has purchased the entire building with an eye toward expansion over the next couple of years.
As Kathy and her crew prepare to celebrate her milestone anniversary, they will mark the occasion both Saturday and Sunday by taking 15-percent off of everything in the house — the entire menu — and will feature 97-cent coffee in honor of Y-Country Radio, 97.5FM's live broadcast from 7am until 9am on Saturday morning from the diner.
Kathy and her late husband Bob Thornton took over the diner 15 years ago and she's amazed that some of the children who arrived in the early days in an infant carrier are now getting their drivers licenses. Sadly, Bob died two years ago, but Kathy and her family and employees have maintained his quality and excellence ever since to the point that Kathy approached building owner Fred Hemsath last fall and successfully negotiated the purchase of the entire building, taking over at the beginning of September.
It's a three-generations show, too, with Kathy and her daughter Shelley still manning the show, even as Kathy's granddaughter, Sarah, joined the team several years ago.
Thornton's Home Town Cafe is open 7-days a week from 7am until 2pm, and is a huge destination attraction in downtown St. Joseph's central business district with many longtime, faithful customers still maintaining regular visits including the likes of dime store manager Gloria Mance who stops in every day as does Dick Beaudette who is retired from City Plumbing & Heating. Both have been regulars since day one.
Kathy says the most rewarding and fun part of the job has been "meeting all of the people with so many great relationships we've developed over the years."
It all started with Kathy, Shelley & Bob fifteen years ago, and you can see a photo of the staff that Kathy is sharing for the celebration this weekend.
With hour-long waits out the door virtually all summer long, Kathy felt that she really needed to expand going forward, and she hopes to increase her 65 seat cafe by another 15 to 20 spaces but also give some breathing and elbow room to the kitchen and prep areas when the expansion takes place.
In addition to 15-percent savings menu-wide all weekend, and 97-cent coffee pours, cake will be provided for all customers as part of the celebration, and old photos from the 15-year run will be strategically placed throughout the diner to commemorate the milestone anniversary. They hope you'lll take time to join the fun.
