The tradition began decades ago when Highway Cafe stood along old Route 66 in Bristow. Back then, Pancake Day wasn’t just about breakfast. It was founded as a fundraiser to help provide eyeglasses for local children. Families gathered early, coffee was poured, and stacks of pancakes came off the griddle for a good cause.
David Barnett remembers those early days well. He spent 10 years learning under his mother’s guidance before eventually taking the lead. When Highway Cafe later burned down, many things were lost, but not the recipe. David carried it forward.
Now, 52 years later, he is still at the griddle. The breakfast is currently served at Edison Elementary, where the tradition continues with the same from-scratch recipe his mother perfected. David has seen many people step into pancake-making shoes over the years. Some stayed for a short time, others for years, learning under his watch. Through it all, he has focused on consistency.
“Proper heat will make the perfect pancake every time,” David said.
On a typical Pancake Day, between 300 and 400 people are served. Around 1,200 pancakes are flipped to golden perfection — each with just the right crust on the outside and the right fluff inside.
The meal includes more than pancakes. Guests are also served eggs, sausage purchased from the local FFA Blue and Gold, milk, and orange juice. Williams Grocery donates Griffin’s Syrup, adding a local touch to every plate.
Tickets are available for presale, but walkins are always welcome. Over the years, there have even been out-of-state travelers who saw the sign, pulled in, and found themselves sitting down to breakfast with the community. It’s a small-town tradition that still makes room at the table.
David says he simply enjoys turning out a good product, whether it’s pancakes or one of the many other recipes he’s known for. But this event is about more than cooking. It’s about history, service, and neighbors showing up for one another.
This year’s Pancake Day will be held February 28, starting at approximately 6:30 a.m. The griddle will be hot, the syrup will be ready, and another chapter in a long-standing Bristow tradition will be written — one pancake at a time.