What had started in a basement kitchen in Lancaster, Ohio, has become a unique diner experience at 161 West Main Street.  Today, the restaurant is under the ownership of David Jones and has changed its name to Annie’s Main Street Bistro.  The original owners, Dan and Mary Ann Richards, started selling cheesecakes out of a homemade pushcart at local festivals. That pushcart eventually became a large concession trailer, which moved to an established restaurant with a full range menu in 1995.

Now located in the historic district of downtown Lancaster, the focal point of the spacious diner is the large white-washed, wooden trellis arching across the center walkway leading from the gift shop into the dining room.  White picket fences accent the room, along with interesting paintings of felines and celebrities, creating a unique essence of a tea garden or bistro.

Jason Moyer, manager and cook, started working for Annie's Main Street Bistro on 18. He makes the early morning commute from Westerville to Lancaster each day in order to be ready for their lunch hour.

“We don’t make [anything] out of the jar,” Jason offers proudly as he shows a picture of the days special. From Annie’s French onion soup to the peanut butter pie, “it’s all made from scratch.”           

The diner-style menu imitates mom’s quintessential home cooked meals, filled with flavor and care.  The bistro continues to make Mary Ann’s famous cheesecakes available in a plethora of flavors from butterscotch chip to lemon.

On October 31 Annie’s Main Street Bistro will change its hours of operations to include dinner and will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., in contrast to the other local restaurants only open for the lunch hour.

“I want to see over 100 people at lunch,” Jason says in hopes of the future. “In fact, I want something even bigger than that.”

Photo taken by Allie Soderberg