We are a gourmet café. Roxy’s Chatterbox is where people come to feel at home, share a meal, and become part of the family. We serve elevated comfort food—homemade spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmesan, crab quiche, baked haddock, and the best meatloaf you'll ever taste. We use only the highest quality ingredients—I get my meats from a local fourth-generation butcher shop. My crab cakes are loaded with fresh crab (no fillers here!), and my mac and cheese is made with five kinds of white cheese.

We also have a food truck that’s basically a full commercial kitchen on wheels. My husband and I (and sometimes my kids) run it for weddings and events. We’ve served up to 250 people out of that truck in one night! Catering has become a big part of our business, and I’m proud to say we’ve never said no to a job—we even handle “triple headers” occasionally; the restaurant, catering, and the food truck all on the same day!

My journey into the restaurant business started long before I opened the Chatterbox. My family has been in this business for generations. My dad and uncles used their GI money after WWII in 1947 to start The Chatterbox, which sat right where Hoss’s parking lot (soon to be Wawa) is today. It was a local hot spot with dancing and great food. After Agnes in 1972, we lost everything—but my parents rebuilt in 1973 and renamed it Town and Country after my uncle saw a restaurant with the same name while fishing in Florida.

I grew up in that restaurant. My mom and dad were amazing cooks, and I was always surrounded by food and family. I remember my mom making pizzas for fundraisers and my dad handing out club sandwiches and lemon blends to visiting celebrities who’d give us front-row tickets to concerts in Hershey. Billy Joel, Rick Springfield, Cher—you name it—we were there!

After high school, I worked at Reese’s for a summer, then spent 13 years at AMP, Inc. before stepping away to raise my son. In 1996, my husband and I bought the Victorian home on Main Street in Hummelstown that would become the Chatterbox. We gutted it completely—it should have been condemned—but we saved the pocket doors and rebuilt everything from the wiring to the floors and rented it out. My dad passed away from lung cancer in 2003, and in 2004, we opened Roxy’s Chatterbox Cafe in his memory.

Opening Roxy’s Chatterbox after my dad passed away was a defining moment. My mom and dad were the best cooks I ever knew, and this place is a tribute to them. Another turning point was during COVID—we were only open four days a week, but we still managed to serve 100–250 people a day with takeout orders. My kids were running food out to cars, and people were so grateful—they’d say, "Please don’t close!" That’s when I knew we’d built something special.

I have a passion for food and people—it’s that simple. I love meeting new people, hearing their stories, and feeding them. I want people to feel at home when they walk in. My husband, Steve, and I are a team—he handles maintenance and baking (because I don’t have the patience to bake!), and I handle the cooking and front of house. We’re like Ralph and Alf from Green Acres—it works because we know each other’s strengths.

I take everything personally, and that’s been both a strength and a challenge. One time, a woman came in and told me my mac and cheese was terrible. I asked why, and she said, "Because it’s not orange—I like Kraft." I told her, "I don’t do Kraft. This is gourmet mac and cheese!" It stuck with me. My husband always tells me, "You can’t feed them all." But I want to. That’s just how I’m wired.

Another time, I forgot to make a crab quiche for a regular customer named Leonard who was leaving for Bethany Beach. When he came to pick it up and I realized my mistake, I said, "Give me your address." I made the quiche, drove it to Bethany Beach myself, and didn’t charge him. That’s how I keep customers for life.

You have to love it. You have to care about the people and the food. Use the best ingredients, and don’t cut corners. And when you make a mistake—own it.

I always say:
“Sony, the One and Only.”
My dad used to say it about the best TV on the market, and now I say it about our business. There’s only one Roxy, and there’s only one Chatterbox!

We have antiques everywhere in the Chatterbox—they’re worth thousands, but to me, they’re priceless. I also know my customers so well that I can answer the phone and sometimes know exactly what they’re going to order before they say it. My husband says my memory is dangerous!