“I have always loved cooking and food,” said Paige Oyer, the owner of Homestead Cafe. “I worked at Chautauqua Institution, which has higher end weddings and catering, so I just fell in love with the events. I like good food and making people happy. I’ve been in the industry since I was 16.”

The cafe, located at 3062 Route 430, Greehurst, has been fairly busy, and has received nothing, but good online reviews since opening.

Homestead Cafe serves up home-style meals that feel like “your grandmother could have made them,” Oyer said. The cafe has an all-day breakfast menu, along with lunch items. Oyer said her biggest seller right now is the pulled-pork sandwich, which is “sweet, tangy and in a brine.” She doesn’t use barbecue sauce with the sandwich because she believes it tastes better without it.

“We’ve done (the sandwich) for our catering, and our big weddings,” Oyer said. “We even put it in an omelet and put it in a breakfast bowl, and people love it.”

Oyer said her favorite part of owning her own restaurant is catering events, although she also loves experimenting with different foods. The cafe has catered weddings, some sporting events for the schools and fundraisers, their most recent being an event for Chautauqua Opportunities at Midway State Park.

“Food can really make or break your day,” Oyer said. “Whether it’s a wedding, bridal shower or baby shower, people will remember good food and bad food. So, I want to help people put out that good food.”

Oyer said her biggest inspiration is people and traveling. By traveling around a lot, she has learned about all different types of food and met all sorts of people along with it, which she then brings back to the kitchen. She also has two children and a husband who love to eat.

“My advice for anyone going into the restaurant business is to work every position and prepare to be busy,” Oyer said. “It’s a very busy job, where you’re always on the go. Be prepared to work hard and eat good food.”

Homestead Cafe rents out space for events and has recently secured a wedding venue for larger, outdoor spaces. The cafe will be catering the Pizza & Wing Festival at Northwest Arena in Jamestown Oct.19.

The Homestead Cafe is open Tuesday through Sunday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn more about the business by going to Homestead Cafe’s Facebook page or by calling 720-4229.