In Focus: A Ribbon-Cutting for Centerville Cafe in Centralia

Lisa and Michelle Little smile as a ribbon is cut outside The Centerville Cafe in Centralia on Wednesday during an event hosted by the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce. The Centerville Cafe reopened Jan. 5 with new owners Michelle and Lisa Little in downtown Centralia. The cafe is located at 111 N. Tower Ave. in Centralia. Both Michelle and Lisa Little grew up in the area and have been going to The Centerville Cafe for over 20 years. Before being approached by the previous owners, Marion Manzer and Morris Gall, about purchasing the restaurant, Michelle Little managed a restaurant in Olympia, and Lisa Little worked as a nurse. Manzer and Gall wanted the restaurant to stay family owned to maintain the spirit of The Centerville Cafe in Centralia. According to the chamber, the cafe got its name in 2013 when Manzer and Gall bought what had been called the “Jersey Diner” and renamed it after the original name of Centralia, which was Centerville. The Centerville Cafe — under various names — is more than 120 years old. “We focus on having really good food, cooked with love. We want it to feel like home when you come in. Our staff really makes this place amazing,” Michelle Little said.