Wellman diner marks three decades in business

WELLMAN — When DJ’s Casual Cafe opened in Wellman, there were a handful of challenges right off the bat. Most notable, beyond the typical hurdles of starting a small business in the first place, was a fire just a few months in, which destroyed part of the building at the corner of Ninth Avenue and Highway 22 in November of 1995.

Owner Dale Bennett said the building was gutted as he closed shop for 10 weeks. The Monday after the blaze, however, someone started a relief fund for DJ’s at a local bank. To this day, he doesn’t know who took the initiative, but said the money helped the diner get back on its feet.

“It was all anonymous, they didn’t say a word, no one wants to say they donated,” he said. “That’s this community. When they say it’s the town that cares, it really does.”

Thirty years later, Bennett’s tried to repay the kindness to other community members, especially his own staff.

“I always felt like this was kind of a lighthouse,” he said. “I’ve employed so many waitresses, so many people that come from broken homes. And a lot of times they’d rather be working than be at home. It makes me feel like I really should be here, like there’s a purpose, more than making money.”

DJ’s is the home of a number of low-key, grassroots charity efforts, whether for staff who need new tires, community members who need help making rent, or families who need gently used furniture.

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“I work a lot with the churches around here, if someone is in financial need, it really is a community and the community has really kept me here,” he said. “I think me helping people, me employing people, has actually helped me. To know there’s a purpose for me here.”

That local involvement, combined with a reputation for hard work and a premium location along the highway through Wellman, have kept DJ’s open for three decades, according to Bennett.

And while the world has changed drastically around DJ’s little has changed about the restaurant itself, save for a few extra pages on the menu, and a handful of removals from its contents.

The official anniversary was in late August, and the diner celebrated with a return to form, serving those few long-retired dishes, like pork burgers and catfish.

“I never would have thought, when I opened up, that I’d be here for 30 years,” Bennett said. “But it just keeps going, and going, and going, so why fight it?”

In the small town of Wellman, DJ’s has an army of regulars. Some come in for breakfast every day, or every weekend, or once a week. Others are farmers and blue collar workers who stop by when they happen to be in town. Many are of an older generation, and many have passed away over the years.

Losing one never gets easier, according to Bennett, who likens the frequent visitors to family members, and says they make up roughly 65% of his customer base.

He feels especially blessed that the crowd insisted on stopping by during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, sometimes leaving $50 and $100 tips on their takeout-only orders.

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“There were so many people that said, ‘We want you here,’” he said. “The community just kept trying to help me out.”

As he’s gotten older, Bennett says he’s taken a minor step back at the restaurant, now working the kitchen every four to five days a week, instead of every day. He does plan to retire eventually, but the owner said he couldn’t imagine a future without the diner attracting a flock of regulars every morning.

And even when he’s officially shed the title of owner, Bennett doesn’t expect to ever walk away from DJ’s completely.

“It’s like, a part of my blood … my restaurant was always here, it was always a place I could go to, I felt good here, no matter what,” he said. “And I think it’s important that this place stays here … this is a staple of the community. And so it always seems right that DJ’s just stays on the corner, forever and ever.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com