Help Save Cuba's Heart: The Rustic Rail Café

Help Keep The Rustic Rail Café Cooking!

Hello friends, family, and our incredible Cuba, Kansas community,

We’re Michael and Tammye Cleveland, the owners of The Rustic Rail Café—a small-town gathering place we lovingly reopened to keep the spirit of Cuba, Kansas alive.

We’re reaching out to you with a heavy but hopeful heart. We need to raise $20,000 to install a required commercial stove hood and fire suppression system, or we won’t be able to continue cooking meals in our new location.

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❗️Why We're Asking for Help

Our current café location has served the community faithfully, but it’s no longer safe. The building has outdated electrical and kitchen systems, fire code concerns, and structural issues we simply can’t ignore. That’s why we recently purchased a new building—to relocate and create a safer, more sustainable space for the long haul.

But like many small-town business owners, we’re stretched thin. After we cover food costs, wages, insurance, utilities, supplies, and repairs, there’s barely anything left. We don’t even pay ourselves minimum wage, and we’ve been pouring in time, energy, and heart—not for profit, but to keep something special going.

We received the lowest bid for the new hood and fire suppression system at $20,000, and without it, we can’t legally cook in the new kitchen.

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❤️ Our Story

Tammye and I are both retired. We bought The Rustic Rail from a kind lady who was ready to sell the café. If no one bought it, she was going to shut it down. And that’s what happens to most small-town cafés—they sit empty and are gone for good. This is why we came and bought it.

There are only a few other businesses in Cuba: the Cuba Cash Store, an antique store, and a library. The café is the heart of the community. It’s where neighbors gather, families reconnect, and visitors feel welcome.

Though we never lived in Cuba ourselves, it’s part of our family’s soul. My father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all came from here. In fact, my Great-Great-Grandfather, Charles Rawson Cleveland, served as a Kansas State Legislator representing Republic County, where all of this is happening.

We took this on out of respect for the town, the people, and my family’s legacy.

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Where the Funds Will Go

• Installation of a code-compliant commercial kitchen hood

• Fire suppression system

• All labor and materials required to meet safety regulations

This will allow us to safely operate from the new building and keep serving you great food and hospitality.

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How You Can Help

We currently have 625 Facebook followers. If each one gave just $32, we’d meet our $20,000 goal!

But truly, every dollar helps.

If you can give $10 or $25, that’s meaningful and appreciated.

And as a thank-you:

Whether you can give or just share this with others—you’re helping to keep The Rustic Rail and Cuba, Kansas going.

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From the bottom of our hearts—

Thank you for believing in us.

Thank you for keeping this café alive.

And thank you for helping small towns still matter.

With love and gratitude,

Michael & Tammye Cleveland

The Rustic Rail Café

Cuba, Kansas