Our History

When you come into Granny’s Kitchen you are not just eating at one of the best breakfast joints in Oklahoma, but you are biting into some rich history. You may think that Granny’s Kitchen has only been part of the Stillwater community for the past few years, and it may come as a surprise to find out that though the name has changed the location, family, and flavors date back to 1945.

Granny's Kitchen

When you enter the doors of Granny’s Kitchen you are walking into the 1945 Rains Furniture store Owned my Elvin and Earl Rains. The north room of present day Granny’s was the original restaurant owned by the Niles family and was ‘Niles Café’ that was until two years later when the Rains family expanded into the restaurant business purchasing the cafe, Vernen ‘Blackie” Rains changed ‘Niles Café’ into ‘Rainbow’.

Keeping it in the Family Delpha Rains bought the restaurant from Blackie and changed the name to Rains café. Between 1948 and 1959 Delpha did some major renovations to the interior of the Café, not only did the dining area expand and update, but a new kitchen and dish area were added in the back.

1959 was the year of the exterior facelift, a new brick face was put on the all the buildings making them into one solid front that you see now. All the buildings used to be separate and some even had staircases between them leading upstairs to the Rains Hotel and apartments.

In about 1968 Rains Café was closed and 9R Western Saddlery was open in its place, serving the community by providing western clothing, saddle tack, and equipment.

But in 1979 Sonny Rains inherited the note for the Café from his mother Delpha, he opened it back up from 1983-85 with the new name Granny’s Kitchen. Though it was not opened back up until a few years ago, Granny’s is in the same location, which can make you feel that you have been part of Stillwater’s history all along. Though Mohammad is the new owner of Granny’s Kitchen he is part of the Rains family, and Granny’s still wants to bring you the feeling of being home, with family, and part of this great community!