NORTH SALT LAKE, Utah — Janet Barmore has owned and operated Janet's Sunshine Cafe in North Salt Lake for almost 17 years.
Her business sees a lot of people from Bountiful and North Salt Lake, especially on the weekends.
Katie Tucker has been coming to the cafe since she was 17 years old and has worked as a server for nearly three years.
While the business only holds 37 people at a time, Tucker says on a normal Saturday, they could serve anywhere from 220 to 280 people throughout the day.
"We are really known for our whole wheat granola pancake, everybody calls it the 'magic pancake,'" Tucker said.
However, last month Barmore ended up in the hospital for about a week. Employees say the illness is not COVID-19 related and that Barmore is now at home recovering.
That has left Tucker and the 13 employees at the cafe having to make some adjustments.
Tucker says they are closed on Saturdays, at least for now. Also, employees have had to step up and help out where they can.
"Our cooks have stepped up and done some of the stuff that Janet would usually do, like making soups, our homemade biscuits and gravy," Tucker said.
Tucker is taking helping out Barmore to another level.
She started a GoFundMe to help give Barmore a little sunshine in her time of need.
So far, they have raised more than $13,000.
"Starting the GoFundMe page was just a way to help somebody who has been down on her luck a little bit,” Tucker said. “And now, it is our turn to give back to her, since she gives so much to our community.”
Gavin Miller has been a regular customer at Janet's Sunshine Cafe every weekend for the past few years.
"She lights up a room, she is so wonderful and funny and just a pleasure to be around," Miller said.
Which is why Miller says he is happy to see all the support she is getting.
"I think it is really wonderful for a community to come together and just try to support everyone in it,” he said. “The more people that you know, the more you can lean on each other and it makes it easier on all of us.”
Click hereif you would like to donate to the GoFundMe for Barmore.
