‘Our guests feel like family’: The Vegas Cafe celebrates 50 years as Antioch staple with 17-cent coffee

Since 1974, The Vegas Cafe in downtown Antioch has been serving up good food and a warm atmosphere.

This Wednesday, May 1, at 10 a.m., the cafe will celebrate its half-century milestone with a ribbon cutting at the restaurant at 914 Main St. Customers dining in can enjoy a 1974 rollback price of 17-cent coffee all day, as well as a spin wheel for a chance to win giveaways and discounts.

Owner Helen Chiappetta said The Vegas Cafe got its start when her father and uncle used money won in Las Vegas to open the establishment — inspiring the restaurant’s moniker and colorful theme.

Originally a 24-hour diner, the cafe cut back its hours first in 2008 and again in 2015, and now focuses on breakfast and lunch, welcoming patrons six days a week, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Chiappetta said the restaurant is known for its soups and breakfast options — “The Hangover” and the “Hungry Man Special” round out the list of most popular dishes.

While the cafe has undergone changes since its inception, Chiappetta, who took over the business in 2004 along with her brother, Dino, said it remains a staple in the community and a place that feels like home for customers and employees alike.

“We’ve been around so long that a lot of our guests feel like family,” Chiappetta said. “When I was working as a young kid, I was serving families whose kids are grown up now and bring their kids in.”

One of those now grown-up kids is Joey Haley, a 39-year-old Antioch resident who said he has been a regular at The Vegas Cafe since he was a child. Sunday meals at the restaurant with his family growing up now have turned into weekly visits with his wife and young daughter.

“It’s very comfortable, everyone’s very welcoming, the service is just fantastic,” Haley said. “They hit a home run every time.”

Haley said part of that welcoming feel is the staff of friendly and familiar faces.

Chiappetta said she is “incredibly grateful” for her employees, many who have been on the team for years.

“It’s just a caring environment and I think that’s what attracts people here,” said cafe Manager Brandon Gsell. “We all care about each other and about the people who come in.”

Chiappetta said while she doesn’t know what the next 50 years will hold for the cafe, she’ll keep working as long as she can. And customers like Haley, who said his family will be at the celebration Wednesday, will continue to show up.

“It’s just a staple of our community, of Antioch,” Haley said. “If we have family from out of town that’s visiting, we always make sure to stop into Vegas.”