JOPLIN, Mo. — A beloved downtown Joplin restaurant is celebrating a century of serving the city with food.

It’s known for some favorite dishes, and now, a century of history.

“I can’t imagine growing up without coming here on a Friday or Saturday night with my parents,” said Mayor Doug Lawson, City of Joplin.

Whether it’s the nostalgia, like it is for Joplin Mayor Doug Lawson, or the original recipes for chili, spaghetti red, and tamales, many residents continue to enjoy “Fred & Red’s” on downtown Main Street.

Owner and Joplin-native David Schaefer tells us his restaurant has cooked over 250,000 pounds of chili in the last seven years.

But on Saturday, the focus was on the 100 years of being a Joplin staple and celebrating with a car show and music.

“As in the proclamation, they were feeding miners which goes all the way back to our history. So, Fred & Red’s has always been important to Joplin,” said Mayor Doug Lawson, City of Joplin.

Schaefer says owning this business has been a dream since he was a young boy. He’s owned it for about 7 years now, but his memories of the place go back nearly 57 years ago.

“Growing up in my household, my dad was a huge fan of the double cheeseburger with grilled onions. And so, I got to eat Fred & Red’s my whole life. When I was a young man, I would tell friends that I’m going to own a Fred & Red’s someday. I was real excited that actually came to fruition,” said David Schaefer, Fred & Red’s Owner.

But Schaefer isn’t done dreaming of the future.

“Right now, I’m in the process of applying for USDA inspection so that we’ll be able to sell our chili in the grocery stores around here. And also, that will enable me to provide chili to our satellite restaurants that we’re working on,” said Schaefer.