Name of business: Sam’s Café

Address: 3052 Fifth Street, Ceres

Type of business: Small café serving country style food, such as chicken fried steak, biscuits and gravy, omelettes, etc.

Owner: Sherrill Peterson.

Days / hours of operation: Seven days a week, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

How long in business: Sherrill has been in the restaurant business for 27 years, She owned the Country Kitchen on Yosemite Boulevard between Empire and Waterford until it burned down and she relocated to her present location. She has owned Sam’s Cafe for the past 12 years although she was a part of it as a waitress when it was Blondie’s and B&J’s Café.

Phone: (209) 538-7988

Background: Sam’s Café was remodeled after a fire and reopened in 2019. The café sports a new makeover that includes new tiling, $76,000 in new equipment, new booths and an additional door where there was none before. Petersen spent $20,000 of her own money to buy other items needed in the restaurant.

The process of rebuilding the former Hancock Auto Garage required a review of occupancy, door and window standards. A new door was added on the west façade for quick fire access and two new windows were cut into the southern wall made of masonry. The occupancy formula caused a loss of 21 seats, from 72 down to 49.

“I’ve got like the best customers. They are loyal. They were patient and I wouldn’t have this business if it wasn’t for the customers. Almost everybody’s come back every single day.”