A local restaurateur in Jefferson, who has been open since July 5th, has been named to a prestigious list of Iowans.

The Iowa Restaurant Association released its 40 Women to Watch and Sara Ostrander with The Centennial made the list. She tells Raccoon Valley Radio her reaction after she found out she was first nominated but then was selected as one of 39 other women in the restaurant and hospitality industry.

“That’s just an honor to even have somebody submit your name, but then to actually be chosen it’s pretty incredible, and just very thankful to be here. We’re just rocking and rolling over there at The Centennial, we’re so busy all the time. It’s just kind like, ‘Wow the hard work is really paying off,’ and all the good that’s coming out of being open and we’re excited.” 

Ostrander talks about being on this list with other women who have been in the hospitality industry for several years and come from communities that stretch across the state, from the largest in Des Moines to smaller communities like Jefferson and Luther.

“I’ve worked in the food service industry for a long time. Being able to put my name with a business and in my home community, it’s just so rewarding. Yeah the list of women, some of them have had restaurants and businesses for 30-plus years, I mean it’s just exciting to be among those great women.”  

Ostrander was announced last October as the new restaurateur of The Centennial. An all female group with Why Not Us bought 100 East State Street from the City of Jefferson, after the building was forced to close in February 2019 after the abandoned upper story apartment was flooded by a broken water line and destroyed the first floor restaurant, Angie’s Tea Garden.