10/02/2026
A Little Pinckneyville History with the story to the start of Kitten’s Catering.
Shared by Dixie's Cup Cafe
Every business has a story, but ours began long before Kitten’s Catering ever had its name.
Kitten’s love for cooking and serving others started when she was just 13 years old, working in the restaurant business. Little did she know then that food, family, hard work, and serving her community would become such a big part of her life’s story.
Kitten married the love of her life, Ronnie, and together they raised their family—three sons, Timothy, Michael, and Mark, and their daughter, Janie.
In 1983, Kitten and Ronnie purchased the resturaunt, and it truly became a family affair. For many years, Kitten's was open 24 hours a day. You could find Kitten in the kitchen doing what she did best—cooking—while Ronnie and the kids pitched in wherever they were needed, even if that meant standing over a sink full of dishes.
There were long days, late nights, countless meals, and probably more dirty dishes than anyone would ever care to count. But through it all, they were building something much bigger than a restaurant.
They were building a legacy.
In 2001, Kitten sold the restaurant to her longtime waitress and lifelong friend, Dixie King .
But Kitten wasn’t quite ready to put away her apron. Kitten and Ronnie soon began catering, continuing what she had always loved—bringing people together through good food.
And now, another chapter has begun.
This past January, at 85 years old, Kitten officially hung up her apron and handed the cooking over to her youngest son, Mark Lee
What started with a young girl working in a restaurant at 13 has now become a family tradition carried into the next generation. We hope to continue Kitten’s legacy with the same hard work, love, and care she has poured into feeding people for so many years.
We also want to congratulate Dixie, who is continuing her own chapter by operating Dixie’s Cup Cafe.The oldest continous resturaunt business on its original site in Pinckneyville.
There is something incredibly special about realizing that one little building in our community has been home to different restaurants and has welcomed and fed hungry customers for an amazing 101 years.
Think of the stories those walls could tell—the early mornings and late nights, the coffee poured, the meals served, the friendships made, the families who gathered around tables, and generations of people who walked through those doors hungry and left with full bellies and, hopefully, happy hearts.
Restaurants may change names. Owners may change. Generations come and go.
But the heart behind feeding people and serving a community lives on.
We are incredibly proud of where Kitten’s Catering came from, grateful for everyone who has supported our family through the years, and honored to carry Kitten’s name and legacy forward.
Here’s to the past, the memories still being made, and many more meals shared together.
Thank you for being part of our story
The restaurant is 101 years old 💙
