MIDTOWN CAFE CLOSES

Midtown Cafe ended its more than 50-year legacy on Nov. 29 with an enormous feast provided to the community at no cost. The downtown Newton restaurant opened its doors at 6 o’clock in the morning and offered an endless, buffet-style meal for the next 12 hours, and then staff said their goodbyes.

Employees wearing the diner’s signature tie-dye shirts embraced their customers with bear hugs and friendly banter throughout the day, all the while knowing it was the last time they would see each other this way and enjoy the homestyle meals of owner Gary Shapnack and his crew.

In between refilling trays of food at the buffet line and operating the kitchen with his son, Sharpnack spent the last day greeting his longtime friends and thanking the regulars of Midtown, who arrived early and with empty bellies. He’d chat with anyone he could for a few moments before retreating to the grills and fryers.

Staff followed suit when they weren’t pacing around the restaurant to cater drinks to customers. Tables filled with longtime Midtown supporters just as fast as their plates of food. Sharron Hawkins, of Newton, enjoyed her breakfast in a table beside the back counter, reminiscing with wait staff about the restaurant’s impact.

“You just knew when you came in they were going to be good and you were gong to get good food — and you better be hungry. Especially if you get those big pancakes! How could you eat them?” Hawkins said. “This is going to be a great loss. I feel so bad that this is going to close. I wish we could have kept it open.”

Hawkins used to work at Midtown, too. Even though ownership and the decor has changed over the years, she said the restaurant has always been known as a friendly place. The diner attracted regulars who remained so committed to the diner they would eat there every day. Hawkins and her late husband did just that.

“They know the regulars and they almost always know what they want,” she said. “…They didn’t tell you, ‘Hey, you gotta get up and leave!’ and you didn’t have to order a whole lot. We have older people that come in here that like to come in and visit. Where are they going to go now?”

Midtown is coincidentally departing during a time when the downtown district in Newton continues to show growth and fill vacant storefronts. Places like 1st Ave Nutrition, Crazy Redhead Quilting, Farmhouse Creation and Nancy’s General Store have opened up shop within this past year.

But this was not the first time Midtown would face closure. When Hotel Maytag was being renovated, it was expected the diner would either have to find a new storefront or face closure. After unsuccessful searches, Newton Mayor Mike Hansen stepped in and suggested the developer let Midtown stay.

Midtown was included in the Hotel Maytag renovation project and received a new look, which meant a rehabilitated kitchen, dining room and other furnishings. The restaurant was closed for nearly four months for renovations. In April 2019, the restaurant reopened and showed off its new facelift.

The diner was as hearty as its food. Sharpnack and his staff even endured the economic struggles caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The customers always followed through, Sharpnack said. On the last day, Sharpnack shed tears when talking about the restaurant’s supporters. To him, they’re family.

“I’ve seen people I haven’t seen in years. I’ve had phone calls from people I haven’t talked to in years. All my regulars came in and I got some T-shirts for them to sign for me and the wife (Deanna). Something to remember them by,” Sharpnack said. “It’s all about love.”

Sharpnack has owned Midtown for the past nine years, but he’s served as an employee for much longer. Several of his family members worked at the restaurant, too. The diner was very much his life. Upon closing Midtown, Sharpnack said he will continue cooking at Hy-Vee Market Grille in Newton.

But he’s not ready to give up on Midtown completely just yet. Sharpnack wants to bring back the food truck, “Midtown Mobile,” next spring. The restaurant has catered food at community events like Thunder Nites in the past, and Sharpnack is confident the transition to a food truck could bode well for Midtown.

Still, the closing was weighing heavy on Sharpnack and his employees, some of which have been working at the restaurant for 20-plus years. Marjorie Horstman, who co-owns the restaurant, has been working in Midtown for 28 years. She said the customers and employees made the restaurant feel even more like home.

It’s those people Sharpnack and Horstman will miss most.

“We’re family,” Sharpnack said. “I’ve had a lot of people tell me they’re going to follow me to Hy-Vee. My Sunday crowd that sits around the round table every Sunday. They’re like, ‘I’ll see you next Sunday at Hy-Vee, right? OK? We’ll be there.’ Hy-Vee’s going to get busy. I hope they know that.”

Horstman added, “It’s a sad deal. We always had a good crowd of people … I want to say to them: I love you and I hope we get to do this again some day.”

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com