Sims bought the restaurant in 2019 from the original family that opened it in 1980. Original owners Anita and John Lamm passed operations on to their son, Mike Morley and his wife, Donna. They sold the restaurant for the same reason as Sims — to spend more time with their grandchildren.
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
“This is a great family owned business in that my daughter works with me and Mike and Donna’s kids worked here too,” Sims said. “It really is just time to hand it over to another local family who will continue in that tradition.”
The sale of the restaurant includes the real estate, a building across the parking lot with six retail spaces that are occupied and a store and lock facility behind the restaurant. The properties are listed all together for $1.3 million.
“For the right person it will be just great,” Sims said. “It (has) to be somebody that really appreciates what this restaurant is to this community.”
The Village Family Restaurant truly speaks to its name. It’s a restaurant where farmers come to eat, a restaurant that supports the local sports team and a place to call home for residents of Waynesville.
Customers enjoy homemade specials like chicken and dumplings, fried chicken and country fried steak. The restaurant is known for their homemade pies, especially its peanut butter pie.
“I’m going to miss the people the most for sure,” Sims said. “I will miss the customers I see every day. If three or four days go by that I don’t see them, I get worried about them.”
One of her favorite memories of owning the restaurant occurred during Covid when they had “TP Tuesdays.” If customers spent $30, they received a roll of premium, two-ply toilet paper.
Another favorite memory was seeing the Corwin Tractor Parade for the first time.
“I’ve seen and done a lot of cool stuff, but that was really, really cool,” Sims said.
She was so touched by the parade the restaurant now has photos of locals with tractors.
The Village Family Restaurant was listed for sale in the spring, but Sims said they do not plan to go anywhere until they find the right person.
“This is a great small town to own a restaurant in,” Sims said.
The restaurant is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. For more information about the listing, call Aaron Delidow at 937-232-7439.
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