PHOTO BY AMANDA GARCIA | BEACON OF LIGHT: Since 1946, The Golden Light Cafe and Cantina has been serving the community with good eats, cheap beer and live music and is the oldest restaurant on Route 66.

Ashley Miller
Assistant editor

As a child, Angela Corpening remembers her grandfather taking her down to Route 66 to get the best burger in town.

At 28, Corpening is the fifth owner of The Golden Light Cafe and Cantina and has been for the last two and a half years.

In June of 2000, she became a waitress and bartender at The Golden Light where she later met her husband Ryan Corpening.

After being married for four years, the Corpenings’ now have a one-year-old son named Jack.

“My most memorable moment at The Golden Light was when I saw my little boy walk through the door,” Corpening said.

Corpening received her undergraduate degree in finance with a minor in accounting from WT. She is currently a graduate student at WT, working on her MBA.

“When I graduated from WTAMU, I knew the guy who owned The Golden Light and I bought it because I was afraid it would change,” Corpening said.

Corpening has lived in Amarillo most of her life and is now doing what she loves.

“Owning this business has been the hardest and funnest thing I’ve ever done,” Corpening said. “It’s also given me the freedom to be home with my family.”

Established in 1946, The Golden Light is the oldest continuously running restaurant on Route 66.

Chester “Pop” Ray started this business with his wife, Louise and made $10.48 on opening day in 1946. Pop got tired of cooking hamburgers and decided to sale the business to Dorothy Gaulden, who ran it until 1979. In 1980, Bill and Pat Alexander bought it from Gaulden. Shortly after, Marc Reed took over as the fourth owner and is the one who has made The Golden Light what it is today.

“It’s one of the only places that is still what it is,” Corpening said. “It’s one of the few places that still has history. It’s a simple and casual place to eat.”

With every owner there has been a tradition of changing the chili recipe.

“Pop’s recipe was lost, Dorothy won’t let anyone have hers, Bill and Pat’s great taste is hard to cook consistently, and I just can’t seem to get Marc’s exactly right,” Corpening said. “As tradition would have it, I now have my own recipe.”

Attached to the Cafe is the Cantina, a live music and beer bar.

Throughout the week, the Cantina features live bands and entertainment. The Cantina is open Tuesday through Saturday.

Tuesday and Wednesday are acoustic nights, while Thursday through Saturday features various bands. From bluegrass to punk, honky tonk to stoner rock, the genre of music at the Cantina is endless.

The Golden Light is also available for private parties and caters parties up to 500 people, mainly hamburgers, since that’s its specialty. Corpening said that the business stays busy and that they do not have to do a lot of advertising.

“As the owner, Corpening is always there and is easy to talk to if you have a problem,” Tamara Tabor, waitress of 11 years at The Golden Light, said. “I throw out ideas and she listens.”

Located on 2908 W. 6th in Amarillo, The Golden Light is a fun and unique place to dine.
“The Golden Light is my home,” Corpening said. “It is a place of good food, cold beer, friendship, family, entertainment and love.”