Donna Hafer Celebrates 30 Years of Owning The Mother-In-Law House

Donna Hafer is celebrating 30 years as owner of The  Restaurant, which has long been a fixture on Main Street in St. Charles. 

The  and the city of St. Charles staff will recognize owner Donna Hafer and her staff at 10 a.m. Aug. 30 with a ribbon cutting and building rededication, said city spokeswoman Carol Felzien in an email. 

As of Aug. 8, Hafer had owned the restaurant for 30 years, having bought it in 1981. At the urging of her mother, she decided to keep the name, "The Mother-In-Law House," which is what it had been called in the past.

, Hafer said her customers are incredibly loyal and don't hesitate to ask the kitchen to make something special. The restaurant is well-known for soups, chicken livers and pies. 

Hafer appeared in the 2008 reality TV show Farmer Wants A Wife, which appeared on the now-defunct CW network. The show was set in north St. Charles County near Orchard Farm and featured 10 city women who competed for the affection of Matt Neustadt.

In one episode, Hafer taught the women how to bake an apple pie. The Mother-In-Law house was also a date location on the show.

In an earlier version of the story, the time of the ribbon cutting was reported incorrectly. In addition, Patch reported incorrectly when the restaurant was first opened. Donna Hafer bought the restaurant 30 years ago, but it had been around before that. Patch regrets the error.