Diners at the Silver Grill are sure to notice pictures of a beautifully restored Ford Model A Town Sedan among the many photos on the walls. The car’s rich history began in 1930, and it remains an important part of John’s life and the Silver Grill’s legacy.

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As a teenager, John first saw the Model A in a barn, covered in pigeon droppings and dust and missing many of its parts. At the time, John was drawn to the car even though he knew nothing about its history. It wasn’t until 2000 that he learned his grandmother and father bought the car in 1930 for $750, and his father drove it on his first date with the woman who would become John’s mother.

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After it was rear-ended, the car was taken back to John’s aunt and uncle’s vineyard, repurposed as a jury-rigged truck and farm vehicle, driven as a jalopy, and later used as a parts donor for sulfur machines. In 2002 John brought the car from California to Colorado, and by 2010 he had realized his dream of getting it running again and restoring it to showroom condition—with one important addition: the Silver Grill’s logo.

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Like the Silver Grill, that Model A went through many changes over decades and is now an important part of John’s story: The Silver Grill Cafe: An American Story and Counter Seat to Fort Collins History.