Mar 19, 2024 - Food and Drink

Waveland Cafe in Des Moines celebrates 40 years of business

Linh Ta

waveland cafe 40 years — Photo: Linh Ta/Axios

At Waveland Cafe, the menu and servers rarely change, and you can count on a line if it's a Sunday morning.

Why it matters: The Des Moines diner is celebrating its 40th anniversary, thanks to staying "consistent to a fault," owner David "Stoney" Stone tells Axios.

"If you do things right, you shouldn't have to change it."

How it started: After working in food service for two decades, Stoney opened the cafe in 1984 after deeming the location the perfect spot for a breakfast diner.

From there, he tailored a no-frills breakfast and lunch menu.

Zoom in: The menu may seem simple, but a lot of thought was put into it, Stoney says.

For example, he experimented brewing the diner's black coffee down to a tenth of an ounce of grounds, along with the water purifiers and softeners.

The intrigue: Waveland's popularity with celebrities and politicos started when the diner hosted "NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw" in 2000.

Since then they've welcomed everyone from President Biden to actor Jason Momoa.

What's next: Don't expect any expansions or more seating. Stoney doesn't plan on changing anything.

But he does expect his daughters will someday take over the family business.

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Waveland Cafe in Des Moines celebrates 40 years of business

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