The longtime owner of City Cafe, one of the best-known restaurants in West Alabama, died Tuesday at 75.

The meat-and-three on Main Avenue in Downtown Northport has been in business for nearly 100 years and Joe Barger's family has owned it for over half that time.

The restaurant alerted patrons earlier in October that Barger was nearing the end of his life and was receiving hospice care at home.

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On Tuesday, Barger died at 75 and the community mourned the loss on social media, with another locally famous restaurant, the Waysider, sharing a tribute on Facebook.

City Cafe was opened in 1931 by Sumter County native Bill Hitt, who co-owned it with Hoyt Brasher before selling the restaurant to a series of people. Joe Barger bought in in 1974 - 50 years ago - according to the Tuscaloosa News' obituary for Hitt, who died in 2001.

Still open every weekday for breakfast and lunch, the eatery is now operated by Geanie Brown and Jodi Rosenburg, Barger's daughters.

The Thread joins the rest of the Tuscaloosa community in offering condolences to the entire City Cafe family as they mourn Barger's passing on Tuesday.

The restaurant will close for the rest of the week to honor his legacy and will reopen on Monday, November 4th.

For more coverage of news in west Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.

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