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Everybody is welcome at Atmore’s newest restaurant.

Café 251 Coffee and Eatery, located on Church Street just down from the American Legion Post 90, opened its doors June 3.

Co-owners Destiny Patterson and Alana Sigafoose began work on the restaurant in late 2019, throughout the pandemic and up turning the painted open sign.

“We bought the building in late October (2019), and with the holidays coming up no contractors would come,” Patterson said. “After the first of the year, they were busy. Then, COVID hit so we did it ourselves for the most part.

“We had an electrician come in and had friends come in and help,” she said. “A lot of it we did ourselves.”

Both said they did have to hire a contractor for the electrical, and friends helped with the plumbing.

“The majority of the work we did,” Patterson said. “We laid all of the tile, and we did the demo.”

Spanning over two large areas, Café 251 offers American-style comfort food and coffee. Some food items include lunch specials Monday through Friday, sandwiches, burgers, salads, a pizzamich, kids menu, a breakfast menu and coffee selections.

The front of the restaurant features a seating area where anybody can come hang out, play games, drink coffee and talk. In the seating area, a kids area is available for the young ones.

Patterson, who has previous experience in the restaurant business, said she’s always wanted to own a restaurant.

“I guess I talked Alana into doing it,” Patterson quipped.

When asked why they decided to open a restaurant in Atmore, both said it was because of their love of the city and to leave a legacy.

“She (Patterson) fell in love with this town and didn’t want to go back to South Carolina,” Sigafoose said. “My family is from here. Atmore was dad’s (Boyd Sigafoose) pride and joy. She wanted a restaurant and it worked out.

“With timing and everythig and taking care of my mom (Judy Sigafoose), we decided to not move back to South Carolina,” she said. “What better way to memorialize Dad than to open a restaurant here. He loved to eat. He loved to frequent restaurants here.”

In fact, a memory table has been set up in his honor, Sigafoose said.

Café 251’s hours of operation are from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday through Friday; and from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. the first and third Saturdays of each month.