Bill Lee: “100 years ago, in 1921, a young and newly married couple named Percy and Verabel Knudson saw the need for a gathering…”

“100 years ago, in 1921, a young and newly married couple named Percy and Verabel Knudson saw the need for a gathering place in their community. Knowing they could make money selling ice cream and candy, they started Idle Isle Ice Cream and Candy Store. A few years later, after raising the necessary funds, Percy and Verabel Knudson--with the help of David H. Call and his wife LaRita-- shifted their business from sweets to full-service meals, and Idle Isle Cafe was born. Over the course of the last century, Idle Isle Cafe has endured remarkable events in history and served important people. It survived the difficulties of the Great Depression and World War II, all while serving locals and national celebrities alike, including Wallace Beery, Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, and Paulette Goddard. During the fifties, Idle Isle even served ``The Duke'' himself, Mr. John Wayne, who stopped in on a number of occasions while visiting Utah on hunting trips and movie shoots. In those years, the cafe also served as a meeting place for members of the Brigham City unit of the Utah National Guard, who were later called to serve their country in the Korean war. Idle Isle Cafe has endured both good times and bad over the last century. But whatever the times, it has always been a place where people from every walk of life could share a meal, enjoy friendship, and bear one another's burdens as they endured the ups and downs of life together.…”