PR for People Monthly September 2017 | Page 21

Once you enter Virginia’s Cafe, you become family.

As you settle back in your vintage booth, you can see the owner actually cooking in the kitchen. The current owner is Mark Von Busch, Virginia’s grandson. In 1978, Virginia opened the café with her husband, Lonnie Torres. “Virginia had owned many other restaurants before,” Von Busch said. “She just enjoyed the restaurant business and always seemed to stay with it.”

Virginia, who still lives in Lincoln, sold the restaurant to her son when she retired. Von Bush has been working in the restaurant since he was 11 years old, and purchased the business when his father retired. Now, Von Busch’s son Xavier wants to take over when Von Busch retires. Is the café Xavier’s destiny, too? Maybe. But maybe not. His father isn’t retiring any time soon, and Von Busch says Xavier has the makings of a judge. For now, Xavier serves as a familiar face for Virginia’s family of patrons.

“This restaurant was popular from the beginning,” Von Busch says. “Highway travelers have always stopped to stay and eat.” Even now, the place is almost always packed. Many travelers take photographs of the charming living-history location. Who knows how long vintage diners like Virginia’s will continue serving up soul-soothing food and familiarity?