The Rush Cafe has been a staple of the Eastern El Paso County community along Highway 94 for more than 55 years. When the current owners listed the cafe for sale, the community didnít want to lose the areaís heritage and the restaurantís hometown atmosphere. By popular demand, the ownersí son, Cade Kelly, will take over the family legacy.Cade Kelly will be the third generation and fourth set of Kellys and Thiemans to own the cafe since it was built by Woody and Betty Thieman in 1959. Sherie and Willis Kelly have run the Rush Cafe since 1985. They purchased it from Sherie’s parents, who owned it since 1962, three years after Sherie’s aunt and uncle opened the restaurant.ìIt’s been in the same family since my uncle built it and my parents took over,î Sherie Kelly said. ìEveryone knew Orville and Betty Thieman out in this area. And now our son’s going to come down and take it over, so that’s our next adventure.îKelly said the cafe has been like a ìcommunity centerî ó a ìhubî of the community. ìThat’s why people were saying, ‘Please don’t sell it!’ They were afraid that something would happen to it.îThe cafe is frequently visited by travelers heading out Highway 94 from Colorado Springs, Colorado. ìBicyclers, RVers, anyone who wants to travel off the beaten path and get away from the traffic,î Kelly said. Rush Cafe is known throughout the Pikes Peak Region for its Rocky Mountain Oysters. ìA lot of people come from outside the community, and we’ll have groups come in from Colorado Springs excited about it (the deep fried delicacy),î Kelly said.The Kellys and their cafe have seen many changes in the Rush community over the years. ìWhen they built the school out here, that was an interesting summer with a hundred workers down there ó that was quite an experience,î Kelly said. ìWe’ve seen a lot of our regulars who came in every day forever and ever grow old, but we get to meet new people and new customers all the time. You lose somebody but gain somebody. When gas went really high, a lot of people moved back to Colorado Springs.îAs much as the Rush community loves ìtheirî cafe, the Kellys love the community back. ìRush is a great place to live,î Kelly said. ìA lot of people look at it and wonder how you can live way out here. But there’s the quietness, being able to get away from the hustle and bustle all the time.îFor diners not interested in Rocky Mountain Oysters, Rush Cafe is also known for their homemade soups, pies and Thursday all-you-can-eat specials. The Rush Cafe is located at 39810 Colorado Highway 94, about 25 miles east of Curtis Road.
