At age 59, when many people might begin contemplating retirement, Ann Santos chose a different path and launched her very own business. "I didn’t want to sit at home twiddling my thumbs, collecting welfare, and waiting to die, so I started my business," said Mrs. Santos, the late owner of the former Country Café, a restaurant she opened at the intersection of Stuhr Road and Highway 33 (currently the site of 'Westside Landscaping & Concrete").

Mrs. Santos brought with her 15 years of culinary experience to the new venture. Before opening the Country Café in June of 1976 (in the building which once housed "Wally's Country Store"), she had spent 15 years at Latif's Restaurant in Turlock, starting as a salad girl and eventually working her way up to chief dinner cook on the evening shift. Originally from Snelling, Mrs. Santos moved to Stevinson in 1958 and continued working at Latif's while residing there. Shortly after opening the Country Café, she and her husband, John, relocated to Gustine to be closer to the restaurant.

In addition to her time at Latif's, Mrs. Santos briefly co-owned the old Drive-Inn at Stuhr Road and Highway 33 for a year in 1966. Her commitment to serving fresh, high-quality food was the cornerstone of her restaurant philosophy. 

After many years of successful operation, the business was sold in 1985 to Twila McDowell and Mike Volpa.  Sadly, in March of 1989, the Country Café burned down in an arson fire.