SAHUARITA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Timeless recipes, a cozy space and loyal customers; that's the dream for any would-be restaurant owners.
It doesn't just happen, though. It's a lot of hard work.
Today I discovered a little spot that serves up comfort food that will keep you coming back.
"It's just a cozy place to come and visit friends," said Joyce Philen who visits every chance she gets during the winter months in Southern Arizona.
Geri Howe is in the same boat.
"My husband love it and that's a big plus."
The real-time reviews come rolling in the moment you step into Mountain View Bakery and Café in Green Valley.
"I love it. I absolutely love it. I come to work every single day and love what I do."
It's hard not to love this space, especially if you're Nancy Byrd who basically lives here. It's a seven day a week commitment to keep up with the non-stop demand from a very loyal customer base.
"So they come in and they have lunch and they know our servers by name you know, How are you doing? How's your family? How's your kids? It's kind of like a little small community like a family," Nancy said.
That family includes the Canadians and other snowbirds who are winging their way home this time of year. So it's now up to the locals to keep the bakery busy; and they do.
Nancy just celebrated 12 years of living the dream that she and her late husband created here.
You could call her mother the inspiration behind her culinary success in a manner of speaking.
"My mom was a horrible cook. Rest her soul but she was a horrible cook," Nancy admitted.
"I think out of necessity I learned how to cook so that I could survive."
Survival is out of the question. She's thriving in Green Valley with staples like cakes, pies and pastries.
Along with the more savory chicken salad or meatloaf sandwiches infused with local prickly pear syrup.
"If you can get a good sandwich and people love it, we keep it. If not, we move on and do something else." Nancy said.
I asked her to park the pride of Mountain View Café and Bakery on a plate in front of me for testing.
"This thing has its own zip code," I noted before tasting the perfect example of why this place has been around for so long.
"Should I start applauding now... right?
Any number of dishes here would get the same reaction; just great meals again and again.
"We get the best food from here," Janie Machina said.
"The view can't be beat. You can sit in the sunshine and enjoy a bear claw. Coffee and friends... what could be better? Rochelle Hale asked me.
Does she see a sunset in the near horizon?
Not just yet.
Would Nancy recommend this route in the food industry to anyone else?
"No, not at all..." she laughed."Unless they're very dedicated and they know what it takes to run a restaurant. It's very hard."
Thankfully for the rest of us, hard, in this case, equals happiness.
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Dan Spindle co-anchors Good Morning Tucson on KGUN 9 and is an award-winning storyteller whose work has earned him honors from the Rocky Mountain Southwest Emmys, the Associated Press and the Utah Society of Professional Journalists for both anchoring and reporting. Dan is passionate about history and loves to explore the Grand Canyon State. Share your story ideas with Dan by emailing dan.spindle@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, or X.
