In 1921 two big moves took place in downtown Clay Center: Star Steam Laundry, then located in the basement of 814 5th Street, was purchased by Clay Center Laundry and Dry Cleaning and moved to its location on West Court, near Fourth Street. The Suitatorium, a formal clothing store at 812 5th Street, became the DeLuxe Café the same year.
DeLuxe was opened by Ernest Theodore and Grace Starkweather, who ran the restaurant until 1942. Grace was the location’s main cook which served all home-cooked food. Their granddaughter, JoAnne Chapman, said it was Grace’s childhood dream to run a restaurant, an idea that took root the first time she ever ate at a café. Her family had stopped during a train trip to get a meal. Chapman related, “It was the first time she’d ever been in a restaurant and she thought, ‘This is what I want to do’.”
Ernest Theodore Starkweather and Grace Mae Hall were married in 1914 and had three children: Ernestine, Lloyd (Chapman’s father), and Betty Lou. When the youngest was 3, Grace brought her mother, Elizabeth Wilson Hall, to live with the family in the 300 block of Frederick Street to care for the children while Grace ran her cafe. Grace’s sister also lived at the residence; by 1930, they were listed at 5th and Clarke Streets.
“She worked long hours and did all the cooking. She had a few helpers, but the days were extended,” said Chapman.
In 1925, the DeLuxe was remodeled to sport a green front, with steps to get into the building. The kitchen was located in the basement with a double-sized cast iron gas range that had eight burners and two ovens. In addition, there was 100 square feet of refrigerator space. Patrons were served in the main level. Walnut wood tables with white marble tops could seat 18, and the matching counter would accommodate another 12 diners. Working for the DeLuxe was considered a good job, providing employees one day off a week and two paid meals per day. The restaurant was open from 6 am to midnight seven days a week, including holidays. The ads stated that everything was home-cooked, everything was locally grown or obtained, and Colorado fruit was the farthest any ingredients traveled. The cafe provided three entrees daily, which included choices like Virginia-baked ham, pork chops and dressing, stuffed shoulder of veal, roast beef, roast pork, or pork ribs with sauerkraut. The DeLuxe was also known for sweet rolls and raisin cream pie. Meanwhile, the building’s upstairs was steam-heated and served as a four-room apartment that was rented to teachers or young couples.
In 1942, after 21 years in the café business, the Starkweathers moved to California to be near their adult daughter, Betty Lou, and Ernest’s sister, Louise, who also took care of their mother, Mary Margarita Wahl Starkweather.
Their father, John, wed Mary, his second wife in 1897 when she was 28 and John was 67. They may have married in 1892, shown by one report (aging them at 23 and 63). It’s also plausible as Ernest T. was born in 1893. However, the marriage was officially recorded in Kansas City in 1897.
His first wife Sarah Palmer Greene, died at age 61 in 1892. Sarah and John Leonard Starkweather had seven children, including Ernest Edward Starkweather, who was 25 years older than Ernest Theodore, his half-brother. In total, there were 10 Starkweather siblings; all but two survived into adulthood. Ernest Theodore died in 1980 in Anaheim, California, and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Clay Center, alongside Grace, who died in 1990. The former DeLuxe Café building was condemned in 2009 and demolished in 2013. Another small building at 810 5th has also been removed.
Research by Susan Hammond.
