Janice Kirchenbauer and Louise Hartwig sit down for breakfast at Balyeat’s Coffee Shop in Van Wert.
The restaurant has been around since 1924 but current owner, Dale Davies, is ready to sell the business, including the building and contents.
Davies has owned Balyeat’s for 51 years and still has the energy of someone a third of his age.
He’s in constant motion as he carves the roast and scoops up the mashed potatoes for the luncheon crowd.
But the years have caught up with him and at age 83 it’s time to slow things down.
If they do close, a piece of Van Wert would be lost, and with that, a little bit of us dies, left eventually with only the memories of a place where the coffee was hot, the pie was delicious and the friends we’ve met here were the best.
Two open houses are scheduled, the first on November 2nd and the other on November 16th both from 1-5 p.m.
An auction is scheduled at the Marsh Hotel on November 23rd at 3 p.m.
