A hundred years ago, on February 10, 1900, City Cafe was established in Murfreesboro, TN, and remains in business 122 years later. City Cafe has belonged to fifteen different owners for over a century. The original owners were a family named the Cantrells, who also owned a creamery above the cafe. Through the years, City Cafe has moved locations three times without ever closing its doors, making it the oldest cafe in all of Tennessee.
In 2014, Teresa Kellogg and her high school best friend, Tammy Greer, bought City Cafe from Rusty and Cindy Perkins. Four years later, Tammy sold her share of the business to Teresa and her husband, Rollin and they have been running City Cafe as a team since 2018 with plans to pass it on to future generations. Teresa and Rollin maintain an old-school theme with home-cooked meals and a staff that treats everyone that walks through the door like family. There are still customers who have been regulars for over 50 years, witnessing City Cafe evolve over the years. Countless first dates, relationships, and friendships originated and were cultivated inside the walls of City Cafe. Teresa and Rollin spend most of their time in the kitchen making meals from scratch and testing out new recipes.
Teresa grew up surrounded by delicious cooking, fueling her desire to create the tastiest food for her customers. Teresa and Rollin consider City Cafe a labor of love and believe, “You come in as a stranger and leave as family.” During the Covid pandemic, City Cafe was dangerously close to shutting its doors, but the community pulled through, offering endless support. Rollin admitted to never seeing so much love and support from a community before and is forever thankful.
Saturdays are pretty eventful days at City Cafe, with the sound of live music and the smell of sweet cinnamon rolls filling the air. Breakfast at this antique cafe is to die for. From their vast pancakes to the gooey cinnamon rolls, your taste buds and stomach will be satisfied. Dine at City Cafe for breakfast or lunch for an experience you won’t regret in the state’s oldest cafe amongst the friendliest staff. For more information about City Cafe and its delicious food, check out their Facebook account, City Cafe Murfreesboro, or on Instagram at @citycafemboro.
