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#WomensHistoryMonth in Central City: Central City Cafe

Last Updated 3/24/2023

The Central City Cafe is coming up on its 30th anniversary this April. Opened in 1993, the Central City Cafe is a family-owned and operated restaurant that offers your favorite homecooked meals for a reasonable price. This family-run cafe is notorious to the residents and visitors of the Central City District, but what many may not realize, is that staff and ownership are mostly comprised of women. Sherry Luther, the owner of the Central City Cafe, sat down with me to share some of the details about the business and offered some advice to young women entrepreneurs.

Pictured above is the amazing staff of women. Left to Right: Sherry Luther (owner, mother), Kristinia Harr (daughter, sister), Taylor Harr (niece), and Nikki Harr (daughter, sister).

Sherry Luther

Before opening in 1993, Luther was an optometrist, married to her husband Dave, who worked in the railroad. Luther said her mother and father were no strangers to the restaurant business. “My dad owned bars and restaurants all my growin’ up,” Luther said. “ I still have people that come in that remember my dad, he'd be 102 now.” She said she was never really about the restaurant business until her husband got hurt while working. She added, “So you know, he had to leave the railroad, and he said, ‘Let's go in the food business.’ And I said, ‘Well, okay.’”

Just like that, Luther said she and her husband found themselves in Central City, looking for a place to start their business. “He (Dave) had an uncle that actually lived in this building,” Luther said. “So he was familiar with the area and there was a sign in the window. And so we bought this at first, and that second,” she said while pointing to the second space, now an extended dining area.

Luther said she kept her regular job for some time, but as things changed, she found herself cooking in the kitchen. “I’ve been here 24 of those 30 years cookin’,” she said. “And now it's a family- three generations. And pretty much that's it. We're gonna hang on for another 30."

Pictured below is Sherry with a picture of her parents.

Luther's Advice to Young Women

Luther said she and her husband really didn’t have much experience, but they knew what they wanted. “Take a deep breath,” she added. “And if you like something, go for it,” Luther said she is not a professional chef, but she is a cook. She said she and her husband came from big families- she recalls gathering every Sunday with her father’s seven sisters, cooking and eating a lot of food. “And that's all we knew,” she said. “And that's what we serve, you know, just old fashion.”

Get your Lunch at the Central City Cafe Today!

Celebrate #WomensHistoryMonth by supporting small businesses owned by women. Join us in supporting our women-owned businesses this month like The Central City Cafe by heading down to Central City and eating a homecooked meal! The Central City Cafe is located at 529 14th Street W., Huntington, WV. Business Hours are Tuesday-Saturday 11AM-3PM (Closed Sunday and Monday).