Serena Cafe closes after more than 80 years as a diner

A Serena icon has closed.

Owner Renee Hermann recently closed the Serena Café at 2274 E. U.S. 52, Serena. She is working at the café at Woodsmoke Campground in Seneca. The six-month-a-year job offered her an opportunity to semi-retire.

The Serena building dates back to the late 1800s. It was first used as a tavern until the township was voted dry. It’s been a diner since 1938. The cafe was known for its cozy atmosphere, comfort food and wall lined with the regulars’ coffee cups.

“It’s a country cafe and I want to keep it that way,” Hermann said in 2018 when she bought the business. “It’s the history of Serena. I am respecting the fact that the café has a history and I’m just a part of it.”

Hermann said the building is for sale.

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