College Street Cafe Springfield

 
On Route 66

This cute little cafe is named for College Street, the street that it sits on.

But College Street used to be Route 66. You'd think they'd to capitalize on that!

A Night on Route 66

Don and I found the cute little cafe in June. We were staying a half mile down the road, at Rock Wood Motor Court.

If you're going to stay in a retro motel (that used to be a Route 66  gas station) you have to complete the adventure with a breakfast at the College Street Cafe.

​Before 8

It was just before 8 when we arrived. 

There were 3 tables and one booth open. We took the booth near the door and I had a nice view of the whole cafe.  

Rounded Counter

My seat gave me a good view of the 4 sitting at the corner of the rounded counter. 

The men looked like they were about ready to head to work. They had to be a little careful coming and going, since a couple hanging flower baskets were squeezed in behind them.

Boulevard of Broken Dreams 

On the wall behind the counter, I recognized the old print, with James, Humphrey, Marilyn and Elvis.

I sort of wanted to ask the 3 men and 1 woman to shift themselves around a bit, so they would better match the framed print. I'm not sure how that would have gone over. 

​Other View

The window next to our table didn't have the best view.

But I loved studying the steel framed windows. Is that steel? Don't know, but I sure wondered how many layers of paint was coating that metal. I love red paint.

​Kim and Coffee

The place was starting to get busier, but Kim didn't ignore us. She rushed over in her black hat and air purifying necklace and took our order.

When she brought our coffee, I commented that she seemed to be handling the whole place herself. She shook her head and said, "I don't usually even work Fridays!" I had a feeling she'd been called in at the last minute. I had the feeling this wasn't the first time.

Taking a Seat

There was no doubt that Kim could handle the crowd. It seemed everyone knew her, which could have slowed her down with their banter.

I took a pic of Don to sneak a pic of Kim, when she took a load off for about 45 seconds. At one point, she greeted a man sitting alone, "So will it be pancakes or eggs, today?" She sat down in the seat across from him for only a moment.

Eat and Go

The workmen at the counter didn't linger long. They left without damaging any flowers.

A man came in wearing a shirt with lots to say and sat alone in the very last open table. I guessed he would eat and go. There were a couple of interesting shirts in the place. "Dirty White Guy" was written on another shirt. Hmmm.

Sit and Linger

This is a photo I took when we were getting ready to leave. It was pretty crowded by then. 

The cafe seemed to be quite the hang out for men. The conversations were not confined to tables. Lots of chatter between. I had the feeling many of these folks came daily and probably lingered quite a while.

Big Breakfast

Don ordered the Early Bird Special (from 6-9) for $4.79.

I was wise and had a breakfast sandwich. Just the right amount for me.

I was there for the atmosphere more, than the food. But the food was pretty decent, especially for the price!

New Friends

​Don and I didn't try to blend in with the locals. We clearly were travelers taking up valuable space. But then suddenly Don asked me a question and that got us some attention.

"Where do you think we pay, Beth?" Before I could answer Don, a number of nearby diners chimed in. Suddenly everyone wanted to show us where to pay and then the chatter began. I made some comment about how well Kim handled handled this crowd and a few of them made some teasing comments that I won't repeat. Another 2 men came in looking for a seat and I offered up our table. They were more than pleased.

Screened Door

The men happily slid into our booth while Don got up to pay Kim in the back. The men chit chatted while I waited for Don. I told them I just had to get a photo of the screened door just steps from their booth.

Ralph (not wearing a hat) thought that was pretty funny that I was taking a photo of the door. He offered to take a photo of Don and me. I said I'd rather have a photo of them. Click! They laughed, as the photo shows.

Posing at College Street Cafe

Don returned after paying Kim and Ralph jumped up to decide where to take our picture. I'm pretty sure every person in the cafe was taking note.

We decided to pose outside, so one guy from the kitchen rushed over to grab one of the hanging baskets from the floor. He made sure the flowers were hanging from the awning, just in time for our photo.

​What a fun little ending to our sweet little breakfast!