S&K Cafe no longer on Creston’s menu

The sound of pouring coffee and the sight of steam coming off cooked food served on plates comes to an end Saturday at S&K Cafe in Creston.

“We started thinking about doing this two, three years ago,” said Jodi Greene, who along with Karen Johnson, has been behind the business for 35 years. The establishment started in 1987 under Johnson and her mother Shirley Kleckner. Greene came on board the next year.

Age and pursuing other interests were the main reasons to give it up.

During their ownership, many people were interested in the menu and relationships were built.

“It’s the customers,” Greene said about the enjoyment she had over the years. “Some of our regulars have been with us for years and years and they order the same thing.”

Greene said she has been occasionally asked how she can remember all the people and what they typically order. Over time, she said it’s easy to match an order with a customer.

“You do it for so many years,” she explained.

She said it’s hard to determine what menu item they were best known. Comments range from breakfast to lunch items. It was not open in the evening.

“Some people are here for the pies, others for the hot beef or biscuits and gravy,” she said.

The place, which can fill up quickly because of its relatively small space, has not drastically changed over the years. Greene said the only major change she knows of is when the booths were removed and replaced with tables.

The two recently approached Creston Realty about selling the building, which was eventually learned by others through social media. Greene said agreements have been made about keeping all aspects of the sale of the building quiet. Before S&K, it was known as Vick’s Lunch. The building was originally modified from a railroad box car.

“This week has been busy,” Greene said. “People have come in to get their last meal before we close.”

The last days rush of customers has helped clear out the inventory.

“We are running out of stuff, which is better than having it left over,” she said.