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It doesn’t take Newberry College students long to find out about Dopey’s Café.

In the little café on Luther Street, you can sit down with a burger basket and an ice-cold bottle of Coca-Cola and savor the atmosphere of a place that hasn’t changed in well over 50 years.

Now run by Dopey’s son, Buzz Edwards, and his wife, Rose Edwards, the Dopey’s tradition lives on as the café serves up grilled food and great times for the Newberry College community and the surrounding neighborhood.

For many Newberry graduates, it’s more than a place to eat; it’s a place where great times were had and memories were made.

It’s been, in the words of Rose Edwards, a “home away from home.”

“We want to provide an environment where students can get away from their busy daily life and come eat some good grilled food in a place that reminds them of home,” Rose Edwards says.

John L. “Dopey” Edwards Sr. came to Newberry College planning to become a teacher.

But in 1950, after he realized education wasn’t his calling, he purchased a little building formerly known as The Tomahawk.

Dopey Edwards opened the café during school hours, giving students a place to eat and hang out when they wanted an alternative from the school’s cafeteria.

Its reputation spread by word of mouth, and Dopey’s became a local favorite.

According to Rose Edwards, Dopey Edwards enjoyed hanging out with students and became a kind of mentor to them. On many late nights, he opened the doors for students who had been out partying.

The hot cheese doughnuts Dopey Edwards served them were always a favorite.

After half a century, Dopey’s remains open for business, and students still come in to sit on a bar stool and enjoy a burger with friends, continuing the tradition.

“A whole lot has changed around here over the years,” Rose Edwards explains, “but we are proud to say that we have not.”