The End of the Line
By CHARLES FERRUZZA
Earlier this year, I wrote a Cafe column
about cafeterias because this unique form of dining out is vanishing. In fact, it’s vanishing a lot faster than I suspected in March, when I paid my last visit to the legendary Jerre Ann’s Cafeteria in St. Joseph – a place that had hardly changed over seven decades of serving home-cooked meals and baked goods.
Jerre Ann’s opened in 1930, at the beginning of the Great Depression -- the boom years for the cafeteria concept, since the meals were inexpensive and tipping wasn’t required. Two St. Joseph sisters, Afra Lineberry and Frances Carolus, opened a neighborhood delicatessen that later became a cafeteria, best-known for its pies, cakes and cinnamon rolls – which were still sold from glass bakery cases near the entrance right up until the place closed on June 30.
On July 5, the most recent owners of the cafeteria, Sue and Mike Brunner, who had bought the place from the founders’ family in 1995, penned a farewell letter to the St. Joseph News-Press, thanking longtime customers for their support and giving a nod to the restaurant’s long history:
Jerre Anne's was more than an institution. It quite possibly was the most famous restaurant in St. Joseph. It had been featured in The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal and more. It was famous for delicious, home-style food and the greatest pies in the Midwest and beyond.And Jerre Anne's was more than just famous; Jerre Anne's was a family. We were blessed (there that word is again) with a staff that was loyal, hard-working and caring. They were the city's greatest ambassadors to thousands of visitors who stopped by for some good food and friendly service.
The world is changing. In this case, the change has brought wonderful new businesses and opportunities to St. Joseph. Our neighbors in Savannah, Maryville and beyond no longer whiz by on their way to Kansas City.
The change also has meant a more competitive market that favors chains over family-owned restaurants. No amount of wishing, hoping and praying will change that. The reality is that Jerre Anne's went out of business last week, about a month short of 78 years of service to this community.
Change also brings opportunities. We are excited about starting the next chapter of our lives. We are optimistic that our next endeavor will be as rewarding as our 13 years with Jerre Anne's. No matter how cold the wind might blow, our special Jerre Anne friends and memories will warm our hearts.
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