MEDFORD—The corner café that Megan Kirby once waitressed for in high school she now runs and cooks her own daily specials.
The Medford native purchased the building from her former boss who operated Ruthy’s Country Corner Café in downtown Medford.
Its bones have seen several other businesses, but to her, it was always Ruthy’s and now it’s Kirby’s.
Kirby assumed ownership in 2013 with the intent of running her café called Megan’s Place back then. However, a month into it, her father passed, and she didn’t feel she could continue. She leased it to others to use for their companies.
Then last fall she got to thinking she was ready to pick up where she left off, so she did. After months of renovation to restore it to its former glory, Kirby held a soft opening for family and friends before officially opening Kirby’s Corner Café to the public on March 23.
Feeding the community
“I started working here when I was 15 years old,” Kirby said as she sat at one of the dining tables. “I have great memories growing up here (in Medford).”
Her mother still lives in town. Kirby herself relocated with her husband and two daughters to a farm between Pond Creek and Lamont, where they also run a cattle operation, so she drives back to her hometown weekdays to cook meals and bake desserts with the help of her cousin and assistant café manager Whitley Vanaman.
“I’m excited to be doing this again and seeing familiar faces. I’ve had a lot of people that I waited on back in the day come in,” Kirby said.
Even her former boss made an appearance or two in the kitchen to help, especially that first week, and she also credited the Cathey family for being a huge asset in supporting her from the start.
The Medford High School alum, who went onto to earn her associate’s degree in business administration from Northern Oklahoma College and bachelor’s degree in social work from Northwestern Oklahoma State University-Enid, is on a mission to ensure everyone gets a chance at a homecooked meal.
Previously serving as an Ombudsman in the area, Kirby has advocated for senior adults before and understands food insecurity is something Grant County struggles with.
“We no longer have Wheatheart (Nutrition Project, Inc.) or Meals on Wheels in Medford due to funding cuts,” she said. For those unaware, Wheatheart is the nonprofit organization responsible for providing nutritious, dietitian-approved lunches to seniors who are 60 and older in Northwest Oklahoma.
“I want to meet a need,” Kirby said.
Vanaman chimed in, adding Kirby’s Corner Café wants to be able to give back to shut-ins, especially those who are recovering from recent surgeries, or retirees who are hampered with physical limitations that they require curbside delivery so they don’t have to leave their vehicle.
Serving more than comfort food
Among Kirby’s specialties are made-from-scratch chicken fried chicken and chicken fried steak, both of which are hand-pattied then fried in tallow as opposed to trans-fat grease, allowing for a healthier option plus it’s cleaner and doesn’t stink, she said. She also flame-grills burgers and chicken sandwiches.
Above all, everything is homemade from her famous desserts and bread to the ranch dressing, the fries are hand cut, and the sweet tea is brewed in-house.
Each meal is made to order; Kirby stressed all the ingredients are freshly prepared that day and nothing is premade.
She wants all of her customers—whether it be the ONEOK staff, pipeline or road crews, local law enforcement and emergency services, farmers, or simply hungry travelers passing through—to walk in the door and be comfortable while savoring her food just like they would if they were eating mom’s or grandma’s cooking.
“We want it to feel like you’re walking into home,” Kirby said.
When she finds time, she plans to add family photos to the walls to compliment the old International Harvester truck that’s the statement piece at the checkout counter as a way to honor her heritage.
Kirby also hopes to expand her food options such as small-scale catering and freezer meals as well as feed harvest crews this summer. In the fall, she may extend her hours by opening on Saturdays for hunters too.
“I care about this community,” she said. “God led me back to reopen and to make people happy.”
Kirby’s Corner Café, 124 W. Cherokee, Medford, is open Monday through Friday for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and for supper from 5-7 p.m. Call (580) 984-1891. Follow the café for daily specials at Facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584614843111.