Kat’s Place a Long-time Anderson Staple
Kat’s Place in Anderson, Missouri, is the kind of restaurant where people come for a good meal and stay for conversation. The menu features breakfast, lunch and dinner plates. Customers say the portions are generous and the service is friendly.
Kat Shannon officially became the owner April 21, 2025, but the restaurant has been part of her life for much longer. The café first opened as Mary Dean’s, founded by her parents, Carol and Jim Shannon. Kat grew up around the restaurant after her family moved to Anderson from Chicago, where her parents operated another restaurant with the same name.
The move to Anderson came during a difficult time for the family. Kat’s father had been diagnosed with cancer, and relocating meant he could be closer to his doctor. Her parents purchased the restaurant and eventually returned to Anderson to run it themselves. Once they did, the café quickly became both the family business and the center of their daily lives.
Kat grew up helping wherever she was needed. Her mother started cooking in restaurants when she was just 13, so the kitchen was second nature to her. Kat worked alongside her through high school before heading to college with plans to earn a business degree. When her parents’ health began to decline, she returned to Anderson to help her mom run the restaurant.
In 2024, Carol began talking about retiring, though the idea did not come easily. The restaurant had been her life’s work for decades.
“It took some convincing to get her to retire,” Kat says. Even now, Carol still stops by the café most days to check in and offer encouragement.
Taking over the restaurant also meant carrying forward the example Kat watched growing up. She remembers her mother stepping in to help customers and neighbors whenever they needed it. Kat keeps up with her regulars, many of whom she has known for years, and often knows when someone is going through a difficult time or has an upcoming doctor’s appointment.
Many of those regulars have known Kat since she was young. They came to her recitals, sat in the stands at her basketball games and celebrated milestones like her high school graduation. Over the years, those customers have become more than patrons. They are family.
Kat stays connected to the community by sponsoring local sports teams, attending local events and patronizing other local businesses.
“I try to stay involved,” she says.
The restaurant has also undergone several updates since Kat took over. In May, she completed a full remodel, repainting both the interior and exterior and giving the space a farmhouse feel. The project included new booths, new equipment and updates to the kitchen and bathrooms.
The menu, however, is still the kind of food customers have come to expect over the years. There is no chance of missing breakfast since it is served all day, with omelets, French toast and other morning favorites. At lunchtime, customers can choose from sandwiches and salads, and there is also a junior menu for anyone looking for a smaller meal. Dinner options include country-fried steak, fish and ribeye, and desserts are available for those who want to finish the meal with something sweet.
Kat says their burgers are among the most popular items, made with fresh, hand-pattied beef. Customers can also purchase fresh beef from Kat’s own farm to cook at home.
Along with the regular menu, Kat also offers specials. The most popular include the meatloaf, made from her mother’s longtime recipe, and lasagna made from her grandmother’s recipe with tube pasta and layers of meat and cheese.
Kat is particularly proud of the pay-it-forward board near the restaurant entrance, where prepaid meal tickets purchased by customers and local businesses are tacked up. The tickets may cover a specific meal or a set amount of money, and anyone who needs one is welcome to take it.
“It doesn’t get taken advantage of, and I see the impact it has made on customers who are young, single parents or elderly people,” Kat says. “It has been nothing but a blessing.”
The restaurant is a popular draw for new visitors passing through town. Many customers hear about Kat’s Place through word of mouth or on Facebook, where the café shares updates and specials. Spring tends to be the busiest season as travelers pass through the area and locals recommend stopping in for lunch.
Many of the café’s employees have worked there for five years or more, and several high school students help out on weekends and during the summer. Kat’s niece occasionally joins the team, adding another family tie to the restaurant.
After growing up in the restaurant and now running it herself, Kat sees her role as continuing what her parents built. The menu may bring people through the door, but it is the relationships that have kept the café going for years.
Kat’s Place is open from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. The café is closed on Sundays. Kat’s Place is located at 1810 Cedar Road in Anderson.
