Local Business Focus: RoadRunner Café

In a small town like Dayton, it is the local haunts that residents often connect with the most. For many, the RoadRunner Café is exactly that—a place for hearty American fare, familiar faces and the kind of personal connection that comes from years of patronage. After 43 years of continuous operation in the same space, the café has built its reputation on consistency, comfort and community.

Owner Davin Gothard bought the café in 2017, becoming the sixth proprietor to continue the RoadRunner tradition; while ownership has changed and some remodeling has been done, the heart of the place has not been altered.

“Same building, same logo, same everything,” Gothard said. “Because it just works.”

Like many, Gothard moved to Dayton in search of a slower, more family-focused life after a heart attack shifted his priorities. He wanted a good place to raise his son and has family connections here so he started looking for opportunities.

“I was a welder but I wanted to open a food truck [in Southern California],” Gothard explained. “But when I had my heart attack, I wanted to get out of SoCal so I sold off everything and started looking for a business to buy up here.”

Owning a diner is not an easy path, but Gothard and longtime café manager Shannon Mackey are there every day, even on their days “off”. The café is open daily from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Google hours are slightly incorrect) and is a cash-only establishment.

“We get regulars and a lot of travelers through here because of the Loneliest Road in America,” Gothard said of the Hwy 50 designation. RoadRunner Café is an official NV Hwy 50 Survival Guide stamp stop.

“But people who have lived here for 10 years will say, ‘we didn’t even know you were here’,” Mackey laughed.

Their regulars mean everything to the RoadRunner crew, especially since many of them are part of an aging generation.

“We’ve lost a lot and that’s hard,” Gothard shared. “Ledo Quilici was in here every day since the day I bought it. You get attached to these people. Even me owning it for such a short amount of time, you just get to love all of them, seriously, there are just great people in this town. It is a fun place to work because we have a lot of great customers. We’re family, all of us in here are family.”

“It is my home, it really is,” Mackey added.

Inside the café, that family vibe is obvious. The backroom is dedicated to veterans because Gothard’s dad was a vet. First responders get free drinks – Lyon County Sheriffs stop by all the time. Customers talk to each other across the room as the staff laughs and jokes with everyone. Plus, the five-member team runs like a well-oiled machine. With a small front of house, Mackey said, “You gotta learn how to dance!”  

And while the crew dances around each other, they are serving up hot classics like corned beef hash, homemade chili and their RoadRunner Burger—with a full pound of meat. They also have rotating specials that change when Mackey’s inspiration hits, providing new options without straying far from their roots.

Giving back is a big part of the café’s mission. They have hosted events like Tip a Cop with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, raising money to take kids shopping for Christmas. They have supported Special Olympics Polar Plunge fundraisers and regularly donate gift cards to local sport teams and booster clubs.

“You’ve got to give back to your community,” Gothard said. “We can’t donate a ton of money, but gift cards are easy and we can do that.”

RoadRunner Café is not just a place to eat—it is part of Dayton’s identity. Whether you are swinging by for breakfast, lunch or just to say hi, you are stepping into a local institution built on hard work, good food and loyalty to our Dayton family.

RoadRunner Café is currently looking to hire a cook – please contact them directly for details. Follow RoadRunner Café on Facebook or call 775-246-0205.