White Star CafeWhite Star CafeThe White Star has been in operation for about 70 years. Customers enjoy dining in an atmosphere that takes them back to a time when life was less hurried and a meal was more than a five-minute lunch deal.
The
White Star Cafe was built and operated by George Branham for about
50 years, afterwhich his son John took over.
George was born at Skeetrock, Virginia in 1896, the son of William J. Branham and Cora Jane Stone Branham. He had two sisters, Lou and Harriet, and five brothers, Cleve, Clarence, John, Ross, and Orville.
George attended grade school at Skeetrock and high school in Clintwood. At age 18, he served in the infantry duringWorld War I in Europe. When he got out of the military he enrolled at Martha Washington and Emory and Henry Colleges for three years and got a certificate to teach school. He taught for four years at local schools and then came to Clintwood and went into business in 1924. He first operated a general store, then he went into the restaurant business.
George married Bertha Ann Mullins in 1926. She was the daughter of Logan and Laura Mullins. They had two sets of twins, Georgia Allene and Gorgia Darlene, (Darlene died at birth), and Jane Lyle and John Kyle. Bertha helped in the restaurant as much as possible.
His first restaurant was called
the "Silver Moon." George 
and Calvin Hughes were partners. A
building on the block caught fire and the whole block burned.
He built another restaurant and called it the "White Star."
This building was also destroyed by fire in 1934. Then in 1935,
George built the "White Star Cafe" which is presently
still open.
Through the years all the family helped in the restaurant. George and Bertha both helped as long as they were able. They always enjoyed greeting and chatting with the people stopping by for a meal or some coffee.
George died January 17, 1978, at age 82. His son John Branham continued to run the family restaurant until 2004. The White Star is located on Route 607, Main Street, across from the courthouse.