Cult-favorite movie's iconic Route 66 cafe faces uncertain future as highway turns 100
One of Route 66's best-known California landmarks is fighting to keep its doors open as America's "Mother Road" celebrates its 100th anniversary.The Bagdad Cafe in Newberry Springs has welcomed travelers from around the world for decades, but its future remains uncertain following the death of longtime owner Andrea Pruett in January and years of financial struggles that forced the closure of its kitchen.The quirky Mojave Desert spot, which is covered with dollar bills, flags, license plates and jerseys from around the world, became internationally famous after inspiring the 1987 German film "Bagdad Cafe."MAN REMORTGAGES HOME TO ENSURE BELOVED PUB REMAINS COMMUNITY CORNERSTONEVisitors can visit the cafe for photos and souvenirs, like T-shirts — which have become one of the its main sources of income — but it no longer serves food as the owners work to raise money and restore the kitchen and septic system.The Bagdad Cafe in Newberry Springs, California, has drawn Route 66 travelers from around the world for decades.(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)It also sells replica boomerangs designed by Alan Scott Craig, who appeared in the film, according to the cafe's website.TEXAS BBQ JOINT TAKES DRASTIC STEP AS SOARING BEEF PRICES DEVOUR RESTAURANTMany American visitors stop because of the highway's history, while European tourists, particularly from France, often make the trip because of the 1987 film, a worker told Fox News Digital.
The cafe has accumulated about 40 guest books filled with messages from visitors over the decades, he said.Pruett owned the cafe for more than 30 years and became known for greeting travelers from around the globe.Those who worked alongside her welcoming visitors with a smile and sometimes climbing onto the counter to sing with French tourists visiting the cafe.Longtime Bagdad Cafe owner Andrea Pruett serves milkshakes at the Route 66 landmark in 2006.
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