MEYERS, Calif. – The Getaway Café is consistently at the top of the best breakfast spots at Lake Tahoe, and the restaurant will be celebrating 20 years in business on Saturday, May 2. The heart of the restaurant is owner Diane Guth, and she treats those who walk through the door as family – and now she has been in business long enough to get second generations as new fans.
Diane moved to South Lake Tahoe in 1991 and has been in food service ever since, from Carlos Murphy’s to Caesars Tahoe. While at Caesars, Diane moved from being a fine dining busser at Le Posh to the maitre d’ at Primavera. During her tenure there, she became involved in the Caesars Tahoe red wine program, earning sommelier certification through training from Napa to Las Vegas.
The wine experience then carried Diane to wine distribution sales, where she was very successful. After buying the cafe in 2006 from former owners Dave and Chris Spitz (who had run Chris’s Cafe for 20 years in the same location), she continued with both jobs for 16 years, with a strategy in mind: pay off the building’s mortgage while keeping the restaurant successful.
“I loved wine sales, but food was my passion,” says the friendly Diane from a seat in the cozy restaurant.
While growing up in Minnesota, Diane had a grandfather who was a chef on the railroad and an aunt who owned restaurants. She worked at a bakery starting when she was 14, both before school and after school. Then, in college, working toward a degree in journalism, she also worked in restaurants before heading to Austin, Texas, and ultimately Lake Tahoe.
And it’s not just a great menu that gets guests hooked; it’s also the excellent service.
Diane knows her Getaway guests from the youngest to the oldest, and they become family, with many coming back to share the experience with their own children. She says she has little ones remembering the hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles, then in the blink of an eye, they are ordering mimosas with brunch.
“I love it when older kids and (now adults) come in and remember me, and say, ‘this was the best restaurant as a kid’. They come back to give their kids the same experience. It is heartwarming watching local families grow up.”
During the 20 years as owner of the Getaway Café, Diane has experienced both the Angora and Caldor Fires, COVID, a recession, and other challenges that a mountain town restaurant can face.
The community has kept her going.
“I am grateful for local support,” says Diane.
The Getaway Café has a blend few restaurants can emulate – heartfelt hospitality, scratch-made comfort cuisine, fresh ingredients, with the special sauce of kindness and top-notch service.
It is this that brings people back. Diane recognizes the cost of doing business continues to rise – from eggs at five cents each and ground beef at $1.25 per pound when she opened, to today’s rapidly increasing prices. She won’t give up on quality, though, for a bargain ingredient.
“Even with rising prices, we have great food, great portions, and a great value for the money,” said Diane.
Many people stop by every time they are in town, whether it is once a month or once a year, and the locals keep coming back as often as they can. Customers come by for special occasions or a few times a week for breakfast.
“We care,” said Diane. “We are more than just a breakfast; we are a positive experience.
With social media, the new customer’s expectations have changed over the years. Before, it was word of mouth that brought them into the Meyers roadside location, and now people see the reviews and have high expectations before setting foot in the door.
With a full breakfast and lunch menu (and kids’ menu) available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Getaway Café offers something for everyone. The menu offers vegan options, items can be switched to gluten-free, three different kinds of Eggs Benedict, maple bacon glazed french toast, build your own omelets, sandwiches, burgers, fish tacos and so much more. (Take a look at their website https://www.tahoegetawaycafe.com/)
The popular outside patio will be opening mid-May.
In honor of their 20th year, the Getaway Café will be doing giveaways all month long on their social media- make sure you follow them on Instagram and Facebook for a chance to win.
will be doing giveaways all month long on their social media- make sure you follow them on Instagram and Facebook for a chance to win.
