Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 26, 1990 TAG: 9006260378
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Roberta Green Special to the Roanoke Times & World-News
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Long
It opened Aug. 9, 1956, as Stone's Drive-in, specializing in "just good food." Only the name, the format and the size have changed.
Once it could seat 40 people. Now it can seat around 200. It's a family owned business with home-style cooking, and its reputation has spread around the nation in newspaper reviews in Long Beach and Escondido, Calif., Boston, and Tucson, Ariz. Those, at least, are the reviews that the Stones know about.
Stone's Cafeteria has been owned since 1970 by Jerry Stone, whose father started the original drive-in. Jerry Stone's two sons, Jay, 25, and Chris, 22, work with him at the restaurant.
Also part of the team are Vivian Davis, who has worked with the Stones since two months after the drive-in opened, and Jackie Spangler, who has worked there on and off since he was 14 - which was almost 30 years ago.
Stone's is the kind of place that breeds loyalty in its workers and in its customers.
"Ninety percent of our business is local," Jerry Stone said. "We do the bulk of our business from 12 to 2:30, when we serve lunch to usually about 200 people. We also have regulars, such as civic organizations, Rotary, Lions, and we do banquets and rehearsal dinners."
"We really work together," Jay Stone said. "We all cook, and if any problems come up, we all handle them. If there are any repairs, we take care of them."
And customers at Stone's need not look far for signs of the family around the restaurant (some or all of them are there all day) or on the menu.
The year that Jay was born a new item was put on the bill of fare: the Jay Burger (two patties, bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes). Still on the menu is Bear's Big Burger, named after Jerry's father, whose nickname was Bear.
The first to arrive at the cafeteria each morning is Davis, who rises at 4 or 4:30.
"If I sleep until 7 that's sleeping in," said Davis, who more than 30 years ago had never intended to work at the restaurant this long.
"My husband bought a tractor, and I told him I'd work to help pay for it. Stone's had just opened, so I came down and asked for work. All they had available was a job as a dish washer, but he said they'd need a short-order cook soon."
When Davis opens the restaurant in the morning, she starts preparing most of the food for the day. Next is Jerry, followed by Jay. Chris comes in later. He works a split shift, closing the restaurant in the evening with the help of Spangler.
When asked what the most popular dishes are, this group didn't have to think long.
"Macaroni and cheese," said Jay and Davis in unison.
"Green beans," added Chris.
"Pot roast," said Davis.
"Pies, strawberry pie, coconut cream. . . . All of our desserts are homemade. We make them right here," said Jerry.
One of the other favorite features at Stone's Cafeteria is the breakfast bar, which started three years ago. The variety includes corned beef hash, sausage gravy, fried potatoes, french toast, grits, apple crescents, country ham, sausage, bacon, pancakes, fruit, apple butter and homemade biscuits. It's open Monday-Saturday, 6:30-10:30 a.m.
When not at the restaurant, the Stone's team is glad not to cook - except perhaps to grill an occasional steak. Instead, each pursues a variety of other activities.
"I lift weights, ski and play baseball," said Chris.
"I have a business of my own," said Jay. "I build race cars, do welding, work with sheet metal."
"Which works out well when we need something welded, like a piece of the dishwasher or something," added Jerry.
"I like antique cars, and we like to snow ski and go boating and to the races. I also like to hunt," said Jerry.
Davis also has a small hunting supply business.
"Sometimes it seems like we have too much going on," Jay said with a smile.
That's easy to understand when you consider that on an average day, Stone's serves anywhere from 350 to 500 customers, and sometimes up to 600.
Yet quality remains an important consideration. In 1977, a food service magazine ranked Stone's in the top 100 restaurants in the country, which put it with 21 and the Four Seasons in New York.
But there are less official kudos, also.
"We've received - and answered - 20-some letters," Jerry said, asking for all kinds of things, including recipes and frozen pies.
Some people come to the restaurant carrying clippings from their local papers. That's how they know about the articles from California and Arizona."
"One couple called from Richmond for directions on how to get here," Chris said. Added Jay, "And one couple drove up from Statesville [N.C.] just to eat here."
As for the future, Jay and Chris seemed happy to stay where they are for now.
"Its been good to us. We like what we're doing; it's a good business," Jay said.
Would they change anything when they take over?
"Well, we sure wouldn't add disco lights and a bar. No, we'd stick with the same good food. But we would like to encourage those people who've never eaten at Stone's to come and give us a try."
Stone's Cafeteria is on Roanoke Road east of downtown Christiansburg. It's open Monday-Saturday, 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
by CNB