Welcome to Meeder’s
Where Good Friends Meet and Eat!
The name Meeder’s Restaurant has become synonymous with comfort food. All across western New York and Pennsylvania, people come to Meeder’s for homecooked meals, friendly service, and their “world-famous” made-from-scratch pies.
It all started in 1960 when Andy Meeder, the restaurant’s original owner, went to an auction at the old Sunoco gas station, intending to purchase a washing machine, but went home the proud owner of the station itself. Andy had big plans for the station, but he never dreamed that the business he was about to start would last for three generations of the Meeder family and beyond.
Selling milk and maple syrup products from his farm, as well as hamburgers, french fries, and cherry Cokes, Andy’s restaurant prospered and grew. At one time he ran a small grocery store in the building as well as the kitchen and dining room.
In 1984 Andy Meeder passed away, and his daughter and son-in-law, Millie and Gladyn, inherited the business. They added the current small dining room, closing the grocery store.
By 1990 Millie and Gladyn’s son and daughter-in-law, Dale and Trudy Babcock, took over the restaurant.
Recognizing a need for more banquet space, in 2000 Trudy built the east side banquet room to accommodate occasions of all sorts: showers, wedding parties, birthdays, memorials, and other large gatherings.
In 2016, new owners, Sheila and Bob Bentley, became the first owners not directly related to the Meeder family, although Sheila is Trudy’s niece. Shelia worked at Meeder’s for several years and brought 25 years of food and beverage service with her.
The Bentleys have made some changes to the standard menu, incorporating old recipes from their mothers and grandmothers into modern-day fare. Eating habits are changing, and bridging the preferences of Baby Boomers and Millennials is an ongoing project, while still keeping the familiar comfort foods we’ve grown to love. Homemade pies, made with the freshest ingredients available, are still a favorite among all customers. Sheila and Bob want this to be a family friendly, hometown restaurant where everyone feels welcome. They embrace the sense of community responsibility that Trudy exemplified and continue the involvement in community affairs.
We find that some things never change, however. Today, as in years past, you will find conversation ranging from politics to local news. There may be a quiet discussion in a corner booth, or a heated debate at the center table.
We always welcome you to join our family.
Ripley, NY 14775
(716) 736-7381