Susan Stivers saw a glass ceiling for herself, so she decided to break through it in a different way.
After working in the restaurant industry for a number of years, Stivers was frustrated with the lack of upward mobility and decided to branch off on her own. In 1992 Stivers opened the Cottage Cafe in the historic Middletown district, establishing the small lunch spot as a go-to for homemade soups, sandwiches and desserts.
“When I was in fourth grade I knew I wanted to own a restaurant, and I knew the time was now,” Stivers said. “I found a location that was very specific to the concept I had in mind.”
The menu is full of choices for everyone, with traditional sandwiches, burgers, clubs, soups and salads. There is a selection of two homemade soups daily, and rotating specials featuring many items from the menu. The desserts are very popular, with a wide variety of rotating options including full cakes and pies as well as slices.
“We make the kind of desserts that resemble what you see if you go to your grandmother’s house,” Stivers said. “Ours don’t look like a bakery. We use real cream. We make chocolate cake with cheese and frosting. We make wonderful cheesecake and cream pies. We have so many things.”
The menu fits the location. Before Stivers bought the 100-year-old yellow cottage, the location was used as a family’s home, and Stivers has aimed to keep the feel of the house in place.
“We kept all the rooms intact that we could,” Stivers said. “I wanted people to be able to have soup, sandwiches and desserts like they do at home in a warm, non-fast-food-type atmosphere. It’s cozy and conducive to what we do.”
Stivers has a small but dedicated workforce that has kept the cafe going, even during the toughest of times. A portion of the 10 to 14 people on staff are adults with special needs who serve a variety of roles, including cooking, dishwashing and waiting tables.
“A third of our staff are adults with special needs,” Stivers said. “I’m really proud of that. I couldn’t do it without them. They’re wonderful. They get drinks, clear tables, run food and help me clean. I have one guy that helps me make meat loaf. People love it. We’ve had people from the school of the blind, people in wheelchairs, prosthetics, intellectual disabilities. Most of my people have been with me long-term.”
Stivers said when she originally opened the cafe, there was an entity down the street that worked with Down syndrome patients who would frequently walk by and visit the cafe. After developing a relationship, Stivers started hiring their students and had great success. She hopes the Cottage Cafe can be a model for what adults with special needs are capable of.
“We’re very inclusive and supportive of diversity,” Stivers said. “We’re part of a community people are unaware of. When people come in, they see a viable community in the workplace. They’re dependable and I love working with them. We help them grow and they help us grow. It has just been a wonderful addition.”
Located on 11609 Main Street just off Shelbyville Road, Stivers loves being part of the historic Middletown district, and the advantages it offers to many of her most frequent guests.
“Middletown is charming,” Stivers said. “I love the historic area. We see people from both ends, coming from St. Matthews and from Shelbyville or Simpsonville. There’s a strong business in the afternoon when businesses get out. It’s been a really good choice for us.”
Originally the cafe offered a dinner menu, but Stivers made the decision to focus on lunch as she raised a family in her personal life. Having grown up in New York, Stivers wasn’t familiar with what is popular in the region initially, but has continually evolved the menu over the years to fit what works best for her customers.
“Some of the items I thought might not be as big of a go, turned out to be fabulous – things that are regional I didn’t grow up with, but they have become staples,” Stivers said. “Items I was introduced to, I made them part of our menu. I’m always looking at things. I try to keep up to speed on what the 30-something age group is doing nutrition-wise. We have a lot of diversity in customers because we do that. I really like our menu. There is something for everyone.”
After being open for over three decades, Stivers and the cafe have stood the test of time. While she has considered opening another location, she said it would have to be the right spot with the right person running it, in order to keep the flavor of the Cottage Cafe alive.
“It’s paid off because we have treated people so well and they have really supported us,” Stivers said. “We’re really proud of our food. We make everything as fresh as we can. I never want to lose the flavor.”
