To Galion Mayor Tom O’Leary the Whistle Stop Café on Harding Way East is anchor for Uptowne Galion. For Charlotte Larsen, the hometown diner is a whole lot more.
“It’s always been my dream,” said Larsen.
And when the opportunity arose to own The Whistle Stop?
“I ran with it.”
Larsen took over as the restaurant’s owner and had a Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting Friday morning to celebrate the occasion. Larsen has worked in the food service industry for 40 years, including Las Vegas and Texas.
The new owner said any changes to the menu are minor and she plans daily breakfast specials as well as $3.99 lunch specials. The Whistle Stop currently employs nine people and Larsen said she hopes to add to that if business is good.
Good food at a good price will be the core of her business philosophy.
“I want people . . . to be able to eat out once a week and feel good about themselves,” Larsen said.
Towards that end, The Whistle Stop’s menu will include daily breakfast specials and daily $3.99 lunch specials.
O’Leary and other Galion officials attended the ribbon-cutting.
The mayor said, “This restaurant location has become an anchor of the Uptowne area.”
The Whistle Stop Café is located at 241 Harding Way East.