Our Founder – Anne Moerke
The Story of Crystal Café
Over 50 years ago my Mom, Anne, who was widowed, needed a job to support her 3 children at home: Judy- 14, Joe- 11 and Storm who was still a baby. The only thing she knew was cooking. She had previously managed the Congress Club (a café) in Stevens Point. Somehow she stumbled upon the Crystal Café located in Iola (my mom loved this little town). It was unheard of for a woman to buy a business in those years. However, she managed to get a loan from the bank in the amount of $13,000 to purchase the Crystal Café.
The Café originally had only 13 coffee cups and place settings for 12. The daily special was Roast Beef (only a 4 lb. roast). All of the old-timers would speak Norwegian while enjoying their coffee, cookies and good conversation. Business was slow in the beginning, but all of the townspeople soon started to gather here and it became the social center for Iola. Mom would work almost every day. It was just Mom and I on the weekends, 5am to 8pm. On a great day we would make about $80 during a fifteen hour shift. “We did not have much, much of nothin’!” Mom would always say. We did not have guest checks, I would have to call orders back and Mom would make it all from scratch. In between customers both Mom and I would take turns doing dishes by hand!
As time passed, the business grew and we were able to afford to remodel the building. So, as the Crystal Café went on I found myself always at the restaurant helping out Mom. She worked a lot, her expertise being PIES. She always thought that anything homemade was always better. So, her big secret about making her pies, “it’s all about the feel of the dough.” Mom believed in working hard, very hard, making everything from scratch, and serving quality food.
Mom retired at the age of 80 and I took over holding true to her philosophy. Now my daughter Jennifer helps me manage and run the kitchen, just like her Grandmother. On the weekends you’ll see the 4th generation of girls: Sadie and Olivia who are training to be waitresses, cooks and dishwashers.
Hopefully you’ll enjoy your visit, because here, we treat you like family! – Judy
Judy’s Story
Mom, Anne, opened up this restaurant when I was just in my teens. She had no money, and I was young and in school. I would work open to close on the weekends from 5:30 in the morning until 8 at night and come help her with the week day dinner rush right after I was done with school. Being a widow, mom had no money to pay me, but we were family so it was no problem.
I would waitress and take care of the front, while mom was in the back cooking and making all of the pies. We would then hop back and take turns doing dishes.
As things went along I went off to college, but I would still come back and work here on the weekends.
The time came and I decided to see the world. I traveled to Europe for 4 months and lived in New York for a year and a half before deciding it was time to come home.
Once again, I found myself working at this café. Not really by choice if I’m being honest, but mom needed me, and we were family, so I was there for her.
Later I met the man who would soon become my husband, Douglas. He loved Iola! And slowly my dreams shifted. We married and built a house here, and I was working full time at the café.
The more I worked here the more I realized how much I loved to be with people and I really enjoyed working alongside my family.
From that moment on I knew, this is where I belonged. This is where God wanted me. This was HOME.
Therefore, when I had Jennifer I still had to work, so I would just bring her to work with me. She was here from a baby on. When she was 2 she would be playing with pie dough in the back with mom, not realizing that one day that would be her making all the pies.
And that is how the story goes.
Now Jennifer has been making pies for 40 years and winning many awards!
Looking back, I would not change a thing. Our whole family is here working, up to the 4th generation. My two granddaughters, Sadie and Olivia. Olivia who helps in the kitchen alongside Jennifer when she is not in college, and Sadie who helps to manage the café, and has been waitressing with me since she could walk and also attends college full time.
Thinking back I had no idea how much this café would change my life. I remember one morning when I was young, driving on my way to work praying, asking God why I always ended up at this café and now it is clear. I am so lucky to be able to work alongside my family and watch mom’s dream live on.
Jennifer’s Story
Hey everyone, I’m Jen.
Many know me as the pie queen at The Crystal Café in Iola, or as a guest on Living with Amy. I was born and raised in Iola, Wisconsin, a town with a population of roughly 1,100.
It all started about 60 years ago when my Grandma (Anne) purchased The Crystal Café and started
making her “Pies 2 Die 4”. She taught me her process and recipe which I still use today.
The Crystal Café has always been a family business. Grandma in the back, my mom Judy running the
front of the house, and eventually me, learning everything from Grandma.
I loved hanging out with Grams in the kitchen, always fetching items from the basement for her. When
I was 7, I was finally able to work alongside Grandma on the busy weekend mornings. I was the toast
girl… which is harder than it sounds.
Once in a while I could work a slow afternoon shift doing dishes, but it was hard work…
At 12, I began to cook. I would work the afternoon shift, and when I was about 18 I was able to move to
mornings, as always, alongside Grandma with mom out in the front. Family is the best team, and if
you’ve ever been to the café… it is clear. WE ARE ALL FAMILY!
I graduated high school in 1991, and graduated college in 1997 where I met my now husband, Nathan,
and continued to work at the café.
In 1998 Nathan and I had a baby girl, Sadie. We lived in Stevens Point, WI so I moved to the
morning shift, as a secondary head cook, still alongside Grams. She was getting older but didn’t think
that meant leaving the café. She would pull a chair up next to the grill and watch me cook…like a hawk.
In 2002 I had another daughter, Olivia. Now, being a mother of two and having a husband who was
working full time, my schedule at the café just seemed to work perfectly for our family.
When Grandma retired (at the age of 81) I stepped up to making all of the breads, dinners, and of
course pies. Always from scratch.
So the story goes. To this day I am still making all of our award winning pies. I have
graciously accepted the 2018 Best of Wisconsin Homemade Pie award, among others. Mom is still out
front waitressing, and running the joint. Sadie and Olivia are both in college but help out here as their school schedules allow. Sadie helps manage and cater and Olivia fills in wherever needed when she is home.
Stop by and see us, we will always treat you like family!