City declares June 12 as Jake & Dorothy’s Café Day after restaurant receives prestigious award.
Special to Beneath the Surface News
Jake & Dorothy’s Café has received the esteemed Texas Treasure Business Award.
The award is an initiative of the Community Heritage Division of the Texas Historical Commission and honors businesses that have been in operation in Texas for more than 50 years.
On June 12, J&D’s will celebrate 75 years of chicken fried greatness in Stephenville.
When Jake and Dorothy Roach opened their restaurant in 1948 Harry Truman was president, and the latest inventions were the polaroid camera and the transistor radio.
However, in Stephenville, they believe the greatest invention that year was the waffle fry. According to Kerry Roach, Jake’s daughter, his original hand-made potato cutter is still used today.
Jake & Dorothy’s has been a favorite of the Stephenville Yellow Jackets, as well as countless visiting football teams over the years. In 2022 the café was named Dave Campbell’s “Best Gameday Grub in Texas.”
J&D’s has also been featured on The Daytripper, Texas Country Reporter and Texas Monthly’s “40 Best Small Town Cafes.”
Terry Colley, former deputy executive director of the THC and current Stephenville Main Street board member, presented the Texas Treasure Business Award to Kerry Roach at Tuesday’ city council meeting.
Stephenville Mayor Doug Svien presented Kerry with a proclamation to honor her business’s 75th anniversary and declared June 12 as Jake & Dorothy’s Café Day in Stephenville.
