VINITA, Okla. — The Mother Road’s oldest continuous family-owned restaurant on Route 66 is now looking for new owners.
Clantons Café in Vinita is the definition of hometown charm, and over the years, it's welcomed visitors from around the world to get some of that heartland homestyle cooking.
Now, the owners said it is time for them to move on and pass the torch to a new family.
WATCH: Clantons Cafe for sale:
For 26 years, the Patricks have owned Clantons, continuing a nearly century-long ownership spanning generations.
National magazines and the popular show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives with Guy Fieri featured the cafe. They even added a Guy sauce to the menu for their famous or infamous calf fries.
As the owners listed the cafe, they're dispelling some rumors. The main one is that the cafe is not closing.
"We had a lot of people texting us, Facebooking us, 'you're closed, I heard you're closed,' I was like, 'well, I’m still down here working, so I don’t think we’re closed,'" said Melissa Clanton Patrick.
The Patricks also said they're healthy. They made this decision to spend more time with family and travel.
They said it was a tough decision but one they were ready to make.
"When we started talking about putting it on the market you know it’s the first time in almost 100 years that it’s been up for sale, that’s very emotional," said Melissa.
As for the next generation, the Patricks' kids said they're also looking for a passion beyond the café.
But like their food, the owners aren't lowering their standards when finding a new owner.
"We’re looking for somebody who can appreciate the tradition that we have established here. If it has been established here over the last 97 years," said Dennis Patrick. "It’s a personality that you know a lot of chain operations just don’t have. And that’s something that Clantons has maintained over the years."
They said they'll never tell whoever buys the restaurant how to run their business, but said its core values need to remain the same.
The values are those of service and community.
Clantons is not only a cafe, it's a hometown hub. The owners have given back, provided food for events, and are a big supporter of school sports.
So, for now and the foreseeable future, the café is not going anywhere.
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