1340 Cafe and Sweet Shop is a locally owned and operated restaurant that offers a broad selection of foods including classic favorites like ice cream and burgers, as well as homemade style entrees and sandwiches using original recipes. Many of the items on the menu are made from scratch with fresh ingredients. The food at 1340 Cafe is delicious, but what owner Natalie and Bill Walker provide goes above and beyond what you might expect.
Natalie believes in creating a workplace that takes care of its employees. 1340 Cafe employs students as well as adults, all with busy schedules outside of work. With flexible hours and time off for major holidays, the staff is able to keep a healthy balance of work and family life. Each worker earns above minimum wage and students are offered tuition assistance as well. The Walker’s four daughters have all helped in the Cafe. Lauren is a junior at OSU, Jenni is a sophomore at OU in Athens, Annette is a Senior this year at Tri-Valley High School and Dori is a 5th grader at Dresden Elementary.
What’s even more impressive is the amount of support that 1340 Cafe gives to the community. Sponsoring local sports teams, donating ice cream for the annual Ice Cream Social and Open House at Dresden Elementary, providing reading rewards and certificates to Students of the Month, and donating time or money to local events and charities is just a small portion of some of the generous contributions 1340 Cafe has made to the community of Dresden. Some of the inspiration behind their generosity comes from witnessing how much pride the people of Dresden have and how involved and supportive they are when it comes to school functions, games and local events.
This is a prime example of why it is so important to shop local to support local small businesses. The money that is spent locally goes back into the community that we all love.
For more information on the ways in which 1340 Cafe and Sweet Shop gives back be sure to check out their community page on their website www.1340cafe.com.
