by Vickie Jenkins, staff writer
If you travel long enough along Route 66, you eventually discover places that feel like they’ve been waiting just for you. Places that hold stories, memories, and characters shaped by the Mother Road itself. In Stroud, Oklahoma, that place is Rock Cafe, a modest sandstone building with a larger-than-life history. Built in 1939 from the very rock excavated during the construction of Route 66, the cafe stands as one of the most authentic and beloved landmarks on the old highway. Travelers may arrive for a meal, but they leave with a memory, a story, and often a new appreciation for the people who bring the cafe to life.
One of those people is Beverly Thomas, the longtime general manager who has spent 22 years inside the stone walls of Rock Cafe. “People don’t just stop here for food,” Beverly said. “They stop because this place feels like Route 66. It’s something they’ve heard about all their lives, and when they walk in, it feels like stepping back in time.”
Although the Rock Cafe was built in 1939 by Roy Reeves, he never operated it. Instead, the small stone building waited more than half a century for the right owner, someone with ambition, heart, and a little wanderlust. That person arrived in 1993 when Dawn Welch rolled into Stroud. She lived all over, even working for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, but something about the Rock Cafe drew her in immediately. She leased it at first, learning the rhythms of small-town life, before finally purchasing it. “Dawn didn’t even know anything about Route 66 when she got here,” Beverly said with a laugh, “But she learned fast. She fell in love with this old place.”
Dawn’s love for the place grew into a passion for preserving the entire Mother Road. She went as far as Washington, D.C. where she spoke with members of Congress about funding to help keep mom-and-pop Route 66 businesses alive. “It takes a lot of courage to fight for small
towns,” Beverly said. “Dawn knew these places mattered and she wanted the whole country to know too. Little did we know was that her advocacy and her personality would soon catch the attention of Hollywood.”
In 2000, Pixar began researching Route 66 for a new animated film. Under the guide of historian Michael Wallis, the team traveled the entire highway, stopping at cafes, shops, motels, historic towns, and listening to stories from the people who lived there. When they walked into the Rock Cafe and met Dawn, something clicked. Her energy and her passion for Route 66 inspired the filmmakers. The conversations, the laughter, the loyalty, it all stayed with them. Eventually, Dawn became part of the creative inspiration for the character Sally Carrera, the blue Porsche voiced by Bonnie Hunt in Pixar’s movie Cars.
From 2000-2006, the Pixar team visited the cafe multiple times, taking photos, asking questions, and absorbing the spirit of the place. Their admiration for Dawn’s story led to an unexpected adventure for Dawn and Beverly. When Cars was finished, they were invited to the red-carpet premier. “It was unbelievable,” Beverly said. “We met Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, and Owen Wilson, everyone! I kept thinking, all of this because of our little cafe in Stroud,” she smiled. After the film’s release, visitors from all over the world poured into Rock Cafe to see the place that inspired a Disney classic.
Despite the fame, the Rock Cafe remains as warm and welcoming as it was in 1939. With a seating capacity of just 48, it still feels intimate and full of character. The walls are decorated with memorabilia from Cars, Route 66 history, photographs, and antiques. But the heart of the cafe sits quietly in the kitchen with the original 1939 grill that has served thousands of meals over the decades. “That grill is the soul of the cafe,” Beverly said. “It’s still the same one we cook on every day, and yes, it still makes the best Reuben you’ll ever taste.”
Through the years, Dawn and Beverly’s children have worked alongside them, making Rock Cafe a true family operation. “This cafe has raised our kids,” Beverly said. “And the kids helped raise the cafe.”
Today, visitors walk through the door smiling, whether they’re first-time travelers or long term fans returning for another taste of history. People come in excited and leave smiling,” Beverly said. “That’s how we know we’re doing something right.” For nearly a century, Rock Cafe has stood strong, its stone walls, spirited staff and legendary grill providing that small-town treasures still matter. In Stroud,Oklahoma, the story of Rock Cafe continues to be written one traveler at a time.
