Skyway Café celebrates a brighter 100th birthday

For many of its patrons, the century-old Skyway Café is more than just a restaurant.

Constructed in 1924, the iconic café still stands overlooking the runway at Felts Field in Spokane Valley, the region's first international airport. For brothers John and Dicky Bergman, Skyway Café is a point of connection they've been enjoying for 76 of its 100 years. Five days a week, John and Dicky meet soon after the restaurant opens at 6 a.m.

"Every day, I see both the Bergman brothers," said Skyway Manager Meagan Wurmnest. "John does the morning crossword puzzle, and his wife picks him up as soon as it's finished."

"We have a large clientele that has been coming here for so long," said Owner Sandra Melter. "We know them by name. If our elderly customers haven't come in for a few days, we'll check on them."

The restaurant holds a special place in Sandra's heart. As a little girl, she recalls watching airplanes while eating ice cream on the front lawn of the small diner. Her mother worked at Skyway as a cook for 17 years. Sandra still cooks on weekends and uses family recipes from her mother and grandmother, all made from scratch.

"Anymore, very few restaurants dice their vegetables and cook everything fresh," said Sandra. "It's like going to grandma's house."

Sandra and her ex-husband, John Melter, are the longest-running Skyway Café owners in its history. They pride themselves on maintaining the 1950s-diner-themed establishment, complete with mismatched silverware, retro décor and a classic menu.

Since the two acquired Skyway 18 years ago, it has been a work in progress. The Melters upgraded all the café's equipment at least once and renovated the interior into a comfortable, functional space.

According to John, it was essential for them to provide a homey space where their customers want to spend time. The warm, inviting atmosphere is enhanced by license plates, posters, old photographs, model airplanes and personal memorabilia lining the walls and ceiling. Most pieces are donated by long-time customers looking for a home for their memories.

In addition to reworking the space, Sandra updated the café's menu and created an assortment of entrée choices.

"Hands down, the chicken fried steak is our most popular," said Meagan.

A testament to the service patrons receive is that over half the diner's guests are considered regulars, and several of its staff have worked there for decades.

"Before we bought the café, it was just a concrete building where you went to have a sandwich," said Sandra. "Now Skyway is a destination. We're one of the top ten 'must see' locations when you visit Spokane."

Regulars like John Bergman agree. "It used to be just a room. Now it's got character."

Located close to some of Avista's offices, Avista employees have been known to drop in for a meal. One such visitor recommended that Sandra take advantage of Avista's small business direct-install lighting program. The program upgraded the building's lighting, and Avista covered the entire $29,000 project cost.

"Our energy bill has gone down quite a bit," said Sandra. "The lighting is so much better and brighter."

Washington and Idaho Avista small business customers can easily qualify for lighting upgrades like this. Better still, Avista typically covers 100% of the project costs through its Small Business Direct-Install Lighting Program.