This is the last day of operation for Donnie and Connie’s Burger Haven in Centralia. Donnie and Connie Cole have owned the business since March of 1975 when they bought the original 10 by 50-foot building on Rhodes Street that provided car hop service only. In 1982, the Coles’ built the present building and were able to offer indoor seating for the first time. The restaurant dates its start back to BBQ Haven that first opened in 1946.
Connie Cole says while their business has had some impact from COVID-19, with the drive-through they remained profitable. Medical issues and the desire to retire to spend more time with family led to the decision to close after Wednesday.
Connie says she and her husband have known nothing but the restaurant business. Donnie began picking up trays from cars at the former Big Top restaurant at the age of 13. After returning from the service, he returned to the restaurant business and met Connie while both were working at the former Chicken Quick restaurant in Centralia.
Connie and Donnie Cole
The purchase of Burger Haven from Don Boswell came about while Donnie was a radio advertising salesman in Centralia and approached the former owner of Burger Haven. Boswell said he wasn’t interested because he wanted to sell the business. Always wanting to own a restaurant, the two got together and Connie says the restaurant became the center of their lives the past 46 years.
“I guess the thing I will remember the most are the customers. I had a customer this evening who has been a long-time customer and she gave me a card and talked about all her memories of the Burger Haven and that touched me. It’s nice to know that not only do we have memories of them but they have memories of us as well.”
Cole also fondly remembers employees over the years, noting how some came back and insisted to work for free when her son had to have surgery in St. Louis. Some children of earlier employees also ended up working at the restaurant which normally employs around ten.
Connie says other than the new building, there have been very few changes over the years.
“We still cook the old fashioned way on a flat top grill, still deep fry our french fries. We don’t have any of that fancy stuff, it took us a long time to get a credit card machine because I kept dragging my feet. We don’t have any of the new-fangled things, it’s all still the way we did it back in the early days.”
Connie says since her husband has been unable to work in recent years due to medical issues, she has been at the restaurant both day and night most days. Her sister has also been a big part of the operation. But now they both need surgeries so the decision to close was made. Connie hopes there is a future ahead with two people currently exploring the idea of purchasing the restaurant building.
Connie Cole at her desk at Burger Haven getting ready for the final day of operation.
The order counter at Burger Haven.
