CLINTON — What started as a favorite family gathering spot has become a family business for the owners of Café 94, a locally owned restaurant serving pizza, sandwiches and homemade desserts in the heart of Clinton.

The restaurant occupies the same space that was once owned by a local pizza shop where the Jett family regularly dined.

“This place used to be a locally owned pizza restaurant like it is now before with a guy named Kevin Douglas,” said owner Kimble Jett. “Me and my family would come here and eat once or twice a week.”

Years later, the opportunity arose for the family to purchase the restaurant themselves.

“We would all come here and eat and it ended up working out to where my dad was able to buy it,” Jett said.

After taking ownership, the family renovated the restaurant, creating a brighter atmosphere while maintaining the welcoming environment that made them loyal customers in the first place.

“We came in and really remodeled the whole inside and made it more brighter and engaging,” Jett said.

The restaurant's name also carries personal significance. Café 94 is named after Jett's motocross racing number from his days as a professional rider.

Racing is a family tradition that spans generations.

“I started riding motorcycles when I was two,” Jett said. “My dad had done it and my grandpa. My whole family has always ridden motorcycles.”

That family-centered philosophy extends to the menu, which features a mix of longtime favorites and dishes inspired by family memories.

Among the offerings is a classic Hawaiian pizza topped with Canadian bacon and pineapple, along with a Philly cheesesteak po-boy loaded with roast beef, peppers, onions and melted cheese.

The restaurant's cookie skillet dessert was inspired by a childhood favorite of Jett's brother.

“We used to go eat at restaurants, and my brother would always, when he was a kid, want to order a cookie skillet,” Jett said. “Finally my mom was like, we should just get those at Café 94 since Brady likes them.”

While some menu items trace their roots back to the restaurant's previous owner, others have been added to reflect the family's own traditions and tastes.

For the Jetts, the restaurant is about more than serving food. It's about serving the community they know so well.

“We pretty much know everybody in Clinton,” Jett said. “So if somebody walks in, we're probably going to know them personally.”

That hometown connection continues to draw customers through the doors, creating the same sense of community that once made the Jett family regulars themselves.

Today, Café 94 remains a place where family traditions, local flavors and familiar faces come together around the table.