Thayne & Linda's Where the coffee was hot, the pie was fresh, and everyone felt like family.
Thayne & Linda’s Café: A Beloved Gathering Place Rooted in Pioneer Heritage
Though the doors of Thayne & Linda’s Café closed decades ago, the memories live on—stitched into the hearts of all who ever shared a meal there. Nestled at 4219 West 3500 South, this cozy coffee shop and family diner wasn’t just known for its home-style cooking and legendary pies—it was a reflection of its owner’s deep love for the community and the land her family had called home for generations.
Linda Coon, the heart and namesake behind the café, came from a long and storied line of Utah pioneers whose legacy helped shape the very ground where her restaurant would one day stand. Her roots run back to Abraham Coon, her great-great-great-great-grandfather, who with his sons and fellow settlers forged a path into the wilderness in 1853 and established what would become known as Coonville, now part of Magna.
Abraham Coon and his devoted wife Elizabeth Yarbrough Coon were pioneering settlers whose strength, faith, and vision helped shape the early communities of Coonville and Pleasant Green, leaving a legacy of resilience and leadership that lives on through their many descendants
Abraham and his family—including sons John, David, William, Jacob, and Isaac Coon—built irrigation systems, organized a school, and helped form the Coonville Literary Association, nurturing both the land and the minds of early settlers. Their efforts created a thriving, tight-knit settlement near what became Coon’s Canyon, south of Bacchus. The Coon family’s work with prominent figures such as President Wilford Woodruff, with whom they ran sheep on the grassy benches below the Oquirrh Mountains, speaks to their significant role in the area's early development.
Linda’s lineage continues through John and Mary Coon (1832–1906), then David and Ellen Coon, Joseph and Katie Coon, and finally her parents, Jess and Mary Coon—each generation remaining deeply tied to the Pleasant Green, Coonville, and Magna areas. Linda inherited more than a name—she inherited a devotion to community, a passion for hard work, and an instinct to make people feel at home.
It was only natural that Linda chose to open her café in the heart of the community her ancestors helped build. At Thayne & Linda’s, the coffee was strong, the service prompt, and the atmosphere welcoming. Locals fondly remember the café as a favorite stop for businessmen on lunch breaks, shoppers seeking a hot meal, and neighbors craving a slice of pie made fresh that morning. It wasn’t unusual to see familiar faces gathered around the tables, sharing laughs and stories over steaming plates of comfort food.
Open late to serve evening customers and always sparkling clean, Thayne & Linda’s became more than a restaurant—it was a living tribute to the spirit of the settlers who came before. With every plate served, Linda honored her heritage and extended the hospitality her family had practiced for generations.
Today, though the restaurant may be gone, Thayne & Linda’s Café remains a treasured memory—a warm, flavorful chapter in the story of West Valley City. And through the stories passed down, the land lovingly tended by her ancestors, and the joy she brought to her customers, Linda’s legacy lives on.
- Hope you enjoyed this little bit of history!
Love, Sheri Kimball Biesinger
