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50 years of moms baking pies

Crystal Café celebrates golden anniversary

By Jane Myhra


The foundation of Crystal Café is based on a mother’s values – work hard, be nice and serve quality food at reasonable prices.

Today, Judith Bolier and her daughter, Jennifer Schustek, carry on the tradition and maintain the same high standards set forth by Judy’s mother Ann.

In today’s world, homemade food can be a thing of the past. But at the Crystal Café, the staff takes pride in serving only food that’s start to finish homemade with all natural ingredients.

It all started in 1966 when Ann purchased the Crystal Cafe on Main Street in Iola. She was a natural born cook, serving only the highest quality homemade foods, including everybody’s favorite: her pies.

Her secret: “It’s all in the feel of the dough.”

Pie making seems to be becoming a lost art, but it is the specialty at the Crystal.

Customers rave that Crystal Cafe pies are “to die for,” and Bolier and Schustek ensure that experience is the same for all guests.

Every pie is created with a homemade, hand-rolled crust to ensure tender and flaky perfection. Only pure and all natural ingredients are allowed – never any preservatives and never any canned fruit.

The Crystal Cafe’s pies “2Die4” attracts customers from all over. This summer, they made close to 4,000 pies.

After 50-plus years, the restaurant is still family owned and operated with the fourth generation now taking part.

“I feel so blessed to have a good staff and work with my daughter, Jennifer, and granddaughter, Sadie,” Bolier said.

She contributed the restaurant’s success to its great employees and wonderful customers.

“We’re here because of you,” she said. “It has been a great 50 years. We love it here.”

The restaurant business has grown and expanded to include catering and wedding/birthday pie sales.

“Fifty years ago, we had a plate setting for 12 and served three pounds of pork roast for lunch,” Bolier said. “Today, we have a setting for 150 and serve 50 pounds of pork.”

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